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Full-Text Articles in Law
Accelerated Formation Of Customary International Law, Michael P. Scharf
Accelerated Formation Of Customary International Law, Michael P. Scharf
Faculty Publications
This article examines the phenomenon of accelerated formation of customary international law. It argues that in periods of fundamental change (which the author characterizes as "Grotian Moments"), whether by technological advances, the commission of new forms of crimes against humanity, or the development of new means of warfare or terrorism, customary international law may form much more rapidly and with less state practice than is normally the case to keep up with the pace of developments. The article examines several case studies that explore the application and contours of the concept of "Grotian Moments."
Bus Bombings And A Baby's Custody: Insidious Victories For Terrorism In The Context Of International Custody Disputes, Andrew Zashin
Bus Bombings And A Baby's Custody: Insidious Victories For Terrorism In The Context Of International Custody Disputes, Andrew Zashin
Faculty Publications
This article will address the problematic intersection of terrorism and child custody battles. The most immediate consequences of a terrorist attack are loved ones lost and buildings reduced to rubble. These losses are devastating, shocking and scary. But to end an analysis of terrorist victories with a body count is a fatal mistake. Americans fervently shout we cannot let "them" win, but how do we decide if they are winning? What do the terrorists want? It is not the goal of terrorists to simply kill Americans, causing death and destruction. That is merely a horrific means to their end. Terrorists …
Defining Terrorism As The Peacetime Equivalent Of War Crimes: Problems And Prospects, Michael P. Scharf
Defining Terrorism As The Peacetime Equivalent Of War Crimes: Problems And Prospects, Michael P. Scharf
Faculty Publications
This article examines the proposal to define terrorism as the peacetime equivalent of war crimes in the context of answering two questions: First, why might it be useful to define terrorism by reference to the existing laws of war? And second, what are the potential negative consequences which might counsel against such an approach?
Foreword: Terrorism On Trial, Michael P. Scharf, Amy E. Miller
Foreword: Terrorism On Trial, Michael P. Scharf, Amy E. Miller
Faculty Publications
While the Lockerbie approach is currently out of vogue, are there nonetheless lessons from Lockerbie that policy makers can draw on in determining how to best use law as a weapon against terrorism in the future? To explore this important and timely question, the Frederick K. Cox International Law Center assembled a group of high level United Nations officers, former U.S. government officials, noted prosecutors and defense counsel, and prominent journalists and scholars for a day-long symposium at Case Western Reserve University School of Law on October 8, 2004, entitled "Terrorism on Trial." The conference, which was cosponsored by the …
Defining Terrorism As The Peace Time Equivalent Of War Crimes: A Case Of Too Much Convergence Between International Humanitarian Law And International Criminal Law, Michael P. Scharf
Defining Terrorism As The Peace Time Equivalent Of War Crimes: A Case Of Too Much Convergence Between International Humanitarian Law And International Criminal Law, Michael P. Scharf
Faculty Publications
The problem of defining "terrorism" has vexed the international community for years. The United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly called for the convening of an international conference to define terrorism and distinguish it from legitimate acts in furtherance of national liberation struggles.' A decade ago, representing the United States, I gave a speech in the United Nations Sixth (Legal) Committee, in which I pointed out that general definitions of terrorism "are notoriously difficult to achieve and dangerous in what all but the most perfect of definitions excludes by chance." Today, we hear calls for a renewed effort to reach international …