Law Commons^™

Global Health Law: Health In A Global Community, Lawrence O. Gostin

O'Neill Institute Papers

The examination of public health law traditionally focuses on constitutions, statutes, regulations, and common law at the national and sub-national level. However, the determinants of health (e.g., pathogens, air, food, water, even lifestyle choices) do not originate solely within national borders. Health threats inexorably spread to neighboring countries, regions, and even continents. Peoples’ lives are profoundly affected by commerce, politics, science, and technology from all over the world. Global integration and interdependence occur “as capital, traded goods, persons, concepts, images, ideas, and values diffuse across state boundaries.” It is for this reason that law and policy need to be transnational, …

False Sanctuary: The Australian Antarctic Whale Sanctuary And Long-Term Stability In Antarctica, Donald K. Anton

Cornell Law School Berger International Speaker Papers

The recent assertion of maritime adjudicative jurisdiction by Australian courts over a Japanese whaling company for acts contrary to Australian law in the Antarctic Southern Ocean is alarming. Private litigation, based on an internationally disputed claim to sovereignty over Antarctic territory and a further contested claim to an EEZ appurtenant to that territory, ought not to serve as a proxy for cooperative (and hopefully effective) international management of the Antarctic environment. The big danger is that if other states follow Australia's lead in claiming sovereign rights and exercising attendant jurisdiction the chances of natural resource over-exploitation and environmental harm in …

The Community Referendum: Participatory Democracyand The Right To Free, Prior And Informed Consent To Development, Brant Mcgee

brant mcgee

No abstract provided.

The International Migration And Recruitment Of Nurses: Human Rights And Global Justice, Lawrence O. Gostin

O'Neill Institute Papers

The international migration of health workers – physicians, nurses, midwives, and pharmacists – leaves the world’s poorest countries with severe human resource shortages, seriously jeopardizing the achievement of the U.N. health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Advocates for global health call active recruitment in low-income countries a crime. Despite the pronounced international concern, there is little research and few solutions. This commentary focuses on the international recruitment of internationally educated nurses (IENs) from the perspective of human rights and global justice. It explains the complex reasons for nurse shortages in rich and poor countries; the duties of source and host countries; …

Ensuring Effective Pain Treatment: A National And Global Perspective, Allyn L. Taylor, Lawrence O. Gostin, Katrina A. Pagonis

O'Neill Institute Papers

Medical availability of effective pain medication is vitally important domestically and globally. Medical advances have substantially improved the technical capacity to control pain and diminish its consequences. Worldwide, millions of persons with chronic, acute, and terminal conditions have found relief from excruciating pain through medical intervention. However, richer countries have disproportionately benefited from improvements in access to and use of pain medication. The tragedy is that for most of the world's population, particularly persons in poorer countries, effective pain control is entirely unavailable.

Strengthening International Regulation Through "Transnational New Governance", Kenneth W. Abbott, Duncan Snidal

Kenneth W. Abbott

A new kind of international regulatory system is emerging: “Transnational New Governance” (TNG). TNG is emerging spontaneously, largely out of dissatisfaction with the failure of international “Old Governance” (OG) – acting through treaties and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) – to adequately regulate international business. NGOs, business firms and other actors, singly and in novel combinations, are creating a plethora of innovative institutions to apply transnational norms to business, especially on worker rights, environmental protection and human rights. These institutions are predominantly private, and operate through voluntary codes and standards: private transnational “soft law.”

We depict the range and diversity of the …

The Search For June Cleaver: International Marriage Brokerages And Mail-Order Brides, Itta C. Englander

Itta C. Englander

This paper chronicles a journey through the modern mail-order bride industry. It examines the mail-order bride industry from its early roots in the Western Hemisphere to its current permutations. It discusses the risks that mail-order brides face and explores possible solutions offered through domestic and international instrumentalities.

International Law Of Foreign Investment At A Crossroads: The Need To Reform, Omar E. Garcia-Bolivar

Omar E Garcia-Bolivar

This essay presents the positive and negative aspects of the international law of foreign investment. It also presents some ideas to consider for reform. The essay is divided into nine sections: Section two deals with the impact of IIAs in the economies of countries; section three deals with the purpose of international law of foreign investment from the perspective of countries and how that purpose has been considered by the arbitral tribunals; section four addresses the policy restriction concerns of some countries; section five deals with the criticism of inconsistency found in investment arbitral awards; section six deals with the …

Not In My Backyard: On The Morality Of Responsibility-Sharing In Refugee Law, Tally Kritzman-Amir

Tally Kritzman-Amir

In this article I argue that the responsibility for protecting of refugees should be shared between the states of the world, rather than allocated in a random manner to the first country of asylum. I will start by explaining why the protection and provision of assistance to refugees is a responsibility-sharing problem. I will turn to discussing the moral considerations which should lead to responsibility-sharing efforts in the context of refugee migration. Then I will offer specific criteria to govern the allocation of responsibility to each country, which should be balanced and weighed against each-other in each refugee crisis, to …

Clitoridectomy And The Economics Of Islamic Marriage & Divorce Law, Ryan M. Riegg

Ryan M. Riegg

Protection And Enforcement Of Well-Known Mark Rights In China: History, Theory, And Future, Shubha Ghosh, Jing Brad Luo

Shubha Ghosh

Contrary to the popular notion that China does not have strong protection for international well-known marks, China does in fact has in place an institutional structure for the protection of well-known marks. This institutional structure evolved over the last few decades as China gradually opened itself up to the rest of the world, which evolution reflects and corresponds to the international and domestic forces underlying the gradual development of the Chinese trademark law. This institutional structure, in its current form, promises a wide range of remedies to rights holders in case of infringement. Despite laudable progress wrought in by this …

Selling Goods Internationally: The Scope Of The 1980 United Nations Convention On Contracts For The International Sale Of Goods (Cisg), Susan J. Martin-Davidson

Susan J Martin-Davidson

What is an international sale of goods? The answer to this question is critically important to trillions of dollars worth of transactions that are now governed by the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. Lawyers facing an issue in the interpretation of the CISG must consult a daunting body of conflicting and minimally informative resources in many languages. The interpretive difficulties are particularly acute in deciding the scope of the Convention and the transactions to which it applies. This article examines the unresolved ambiguities in terms such as “sale of goods,” “place of business,” and “validity,” …

The Story Of Article 9 Of The Japanese Constitution, Kenneth L. Port

Kenneth L. Port

Abstract Japan has been experiencing an odd constitutional challenge for over 60 years. In Article 9 of the Constitution, which Americans drafted after World War II, Japan renounces belligerent war. However, within the society, multiple meanings of Article 9 have developed. Each “story” of Article 9 seems as legitimate as the next because the Supreme Court has abdicated their responsibility to resolve this important constitutional issue by calling Article 9 a non-justiciable, political question. Therefore, the only entity that has been silent on what Article 9 means is the Supreme Court. As a result, there are many, many interpretations of …

The Aumfai, Resolution 1790, Sofas, And Base Agreements: How Does The U.S. Stay In Iraq?, Eric G. Roscoe

Eric G. Roscoe

This Comment will address the authorization problems that might arise with the deployment of troops to Iraq. The current congressional authorization permits the U.S. to operate in Iraq pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1790. Resolution 1790 will expire in December of 2008 and Iraq has no desire to renew that resolution. The Bush administration is currently negotiating a bilateral Status of Forces Agreement (“SOFA”), in order to provide the U.S. international authorization for troops in Iraq. This Comment argues, counter to the administration, that the U.S. should pursue the negotiation of a pseudo-base agreement with Iraq in addition to the …

The Challenges Of Democratic Consolidation In Africa, Okechukwu Oko

Okechukwu Oko

This paper, using Nigeria as a case study, examines the challenges of democratic consolidation in Africa. It will critically and objectively identify the problems and challenges of democratic consolidation in Africa and offer suggestions that will move Africa further along the path of constitutional democracy. It proceeds from the basic proposition that Africans’ thirst for genuine democracy is at present unslaked and perhaps unslakeable under the current circumstances in Africa. Democracy is off kilter in Nigeria, and indeed, most parts of Africa and appears to be spiraling over the edge into dictatorship, and perhaps even social disorder, fatally assaulted by …

Is Labor Really "Cheap" In China? Compliance With Labor And Employment Laws, Marisa Anne Pagnattaro

marisa pagnattaro

Abstract: This article details China’s the growing body of labor and employment laws. Specifically, this research analyzes major labor and employment law developments in China, including the newly adopted Labor Contract Law, employment discrimination sexual harassment, wages, workplace health and safety, worker privacy, and dispute resolution. The ramifications of this developing legal landscape on U.S. companies doing business in China are also discussed.

Non-Refoulement And Jus Cogens: Limiting Anti-Terror Measures That Threaten Refugee Protection, Alice Farmer

Alice H Farmer

This article argues that we must insist on strict limits to the exceptions to non-refoulement articulated in the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees, given current state obligations under international law. There is great potential for refugee-receiving states to rely heavily on the exceptions to non-refoulement in enacting anti-terrorism policies, to the detriment of refugee protection. And yet, non-refoulement – the doctrine central to refugee protection that prohibits return of an individual to a country in which he or she may be persecuted – is emerging as a new jus cogens norm. Non-refoulement as articulated in the 1951 Convention …

The Global Advocate: From Ethical Anarchy To Discernable Duties, Catherine A. Rogers

Catherine A Rogers

This Article identifies the emergence of "global advocates" as an important force on the world legal stage. By definition and design, these global advocates operate in a professional “space” that is distinct from the jurisdiction in which they are licensed and stretches beyond the jurisdictional boundaries of any particular tribunal. They maneuver in the nooks and crannies, the overlap and the inconsistencies between legal systems. Legal arbitrage is a core feature of their daily practice, and perhaps one of their most essential professional skills. This detachment from their licensing jurisdiction raises fundamental questions about the origin and object of their …

The Role Of Private Sector Investment In International Microfinance And The Implications Of Domestic Regulatory Environments, William A. Langer

William A Langer

The Role of Private Sector Investment in International Microfinance and the Implications of Domestic Regulatory Environments

By William Langer

Microfinance – the practice of providing small, working capital loans and other financial services to poor individuals unable to obtain access to commercial sources of credit – has been able to transform the lives of over 100 million microentrepreneurs and their families in various regions throughout the world. Despite this impressive achievement, microfinance currently reaches only 10% of the estimated demand for microfinance services, comprised of approximately 1 to 1.5 billion self-employed poor persons worldwide. Practitioners agree that in order to …

Staking Claims Against Foreign Defendants In Canada: Choice Of Law And Jurisdiction Issues Arising From The In Personam Exception To The Mocambique Rule For Foreign Immovables, Antonin I. Pribetic

Antonin I. Pribetic

Canadian courts have struggled in distinguishing between in personam jurisdiction and subject-matter jurisdiction (and specifically the Mocambique rule). In particular, they appear to overlook the two-fold jurisdictional requirement that in order to proceed in a given case they must have both types of jurisdiction - in personam and subject-matter - and that when jurisdictional challenges arise due to the fact that the dispute deals with foreign immovables Canadian courts, influenced by the post-Morguard focus on in personam jurisdiction, are dealing with the foreign land question under the rubric of in personam jurisdiction, not under the traditional heading of subject-matter jurisdiction. …

Comparing Judicial Compensation: Apples, Oranges, And Cherry-Picking, Matthew W. Wolfe

Matthew W. Wolfe

United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts describes the American judiciary as the envy of other constitutional democracies. But in one respect, the judiciary apparently trails others: judicial pay. Citing higher salaries of judges in other countries, Chief Justice Roberts and Associate Justices Stephen Breyer and Samuel Alito have all argued that inadequate judicial pay leads to a decline in judicial performance and quality. Judicial pay advocates apparently make these comparisons to emphasize that low judicial salaries “threaten” judicial quality and independence or, alternatively, that high judicial salaries “ensure” quality and independence. But the argument is incomplete, relying upon …

State Consent, Investor Interests And The Future Of Investment Arbitration: Reanalyzing The Jurisdiction Of Investor-State Tribunals In Hard Cases, Paul M. Blyschak

Paul M Blyschak

While the international investment regime has enjoyed an extended period of enthusiastic subscription, this euphoria has begun to recede in some quarters. Although sovereign consent to waive immunity is at the heart of investor-State arbitration, many states feel that this consent has been illegitimately expanded. In this regard, this thesis examines the degree to which the interpretive approach taken to state consent to arbitration can affect whether an investment tribunal will assert jurisdiction over an investment dispute. Investor-State tribunals often confront ‘hard cases’ where their authority to decide a dispute is vigorously contested by respondent host states. This thesis examines …

State Consent, Investor Interests And The Future Of Investment Arbitration: Reanalyzing The Jurisdiction Of Investor-State Tribunals In Hard Cases, Paul M. Blyschak

Paul M Blyschak

While the international investment regime has enjoyed an extended period of enthusiastic subscription, this euphoria has begun to recede in some quarters. Although sovereign consent to waive immunity is at the heart of investor-State arbitration, many states feel that this consent has been illegitimately expanded. In this regard, this thesis examines the degree to which the interpretive approach taken to state consent to arbitration can affect whether an investment tribunal will assert jurisdiction over an investment dispute. Investor-State tribunals often confront ‘hard cases’ where their authority to decide a dispute is vigorously contested by respondent host states. This thesis examines …

The European Union (Eu) Facing The Global Arena: Standard Setting Bodies And Financial Regulation, Giulia Bertezzolo

Giulia Bertezzolo

The article considers how the European Community deals with global standard setters operating within the financial sector. The starting point is the consideration of the growing importance of those bodies and their transformed role. Previously places devoted to the exchange of ideas, they have evolved into transnational regulatory bodies. These organizations issue their own standards, which officially have no binding force. Nevertheless, global “rules” spread out both quickly internationally. As shown by some recent EC directives, despite the European Community’s weak representation within the standard setters, EC law seems to be strongly influenced by global standards. In order to understand …

The Next, Small, Step For Mankind: Fixing The Inadequacies Of The International Space Law Treaty Regime To Accommodate The Modern Space Flight Industry, Brian J. Beck

Brian J Beck

Since man’s first foray into space flight in 1958, the world has greatly changed. Early space law treaties were created for a world where nations looked to travel to the moon and beyond, two hostile superpowers gave rise to the danger of a weaponized outer space, and space travel was too expensive for anyone but the world’s richest governments. This article argues that the current space law treaty regime, negotiated in the late 1960s and early 1970s, is inadequate to handle the challenges of space flight in the next decade. These challenges include commercial space flight and its attendant concerns, …

Toward An Identity Theory Of International Organizations, Sungjoon Cho

Sungjoon Cho

Toward an Identity Theory of International Organizations

Abstract

Today, we live in an era of international organizations (IOs). With more than two hundred IOs existing, they touch our everyday lives, ranging from air travel to flu shots. Such paramount significance notwithstanding, conventional international relations (IR) theories, such as realism, have failed to take IOs seriously. Conventional IR scholars view an IO as nothing but passive machinery created and controlled by states for their functional need. Under this position, while an IO may facilitate inter-state cooperation and reduce transaction costs, it would never have a life of its own. Conventional IR …

China, Business Law, And Finance -- Accession To The World Trade Organization, Joseph Vining

Law & Economics Working Papers Archive: 2003-2009

China's entry into the world economy will affect not just how we act but how we think. It will affect especially what "business," "business law," and "business corporation" come to mean both in a transnational setting and in American law. The nature of American business law today still stands in the way of a wholly profit-maximizing approach to law or the world in general. But there is strong pressure, consistent with a general tendency in Western thought, to make business and corporate decision-making entirely manipulative and calculating and to eliminate the force of human value from it. This Youde Lecture …

The Emergence Of Transnational Constitutionalism: Its Features, Challenges And Solutions, Wen-Chen Chang, Jiunn-Rong Yeh

Wen-Chen Chang

Globalization and regional remapping have made unprecedented challenges to traditional understandings of constitutional and international laws. Not only constitutions may function across national borders but also international treaties and regional cooperative frameworks may deliver constitutional or quasi-constitutional functions. This paper aims at theorizing recent developments of transnational constitutionalism by examining its features, functions and characteristics. We find that transnational constitutionalism features transnational constitutional arrangements, transnational judicial dialogues and global convergence of national constitutions. Notwithstanding main functions in facilitating a global market, the development of transnational constitutionalism nevertheless undermines accountability, democracy and rule of law at both domestic and transnational levels. …

To Hell With Kyoto, It’S Time For Something Real!, Altdus Ray Frank

Altdus Ray Frank

The intended gift of clean air and pristine atmosphere through the inception of the Kyoto Protocol was meant to be a measure to protect the environment for not only the present generation, but the future as well. Instead of accepting this gift, humanity has yet again showed its darker side; shredding the ambitious purpose of this document and crucifying its creators as being overzealous, overbearing fools. People must come to terms and understand that environmental catastrophe is the single greatest threat faced by humanity today.

It is time for a new dawn, a new era where, the global community has …

Strategic Protectionism? National Security And Foreign Investment In The Russian Federation, Jesse R. Heath

Jesse R Heath

Russia recently joined the growing list of nations that formally control foreign investment in ‘strategic’ industries. The new law regulating foreign investment generated mixed reviews, ranging from harsh criticism in the media to restrained optimism from investors. In this note, I will argue that the new strategic industries law, though not perfect, is less restrictive than critics claim and helps establish the ‘rules of the game’ for foreign investors in sensitive industries. Most importantly, the law is generally consistent with standards promoted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and will likely help promote foreign investment in Russia.