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Full-Text Articles in Law
The Federal Common Law Of Nations, Bradford R. Clark
The Federal Common Law Of Nations, Bradford R. Clark
GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works
Courts and scholars have vigorously debated the proper role of customary international law in American courts: To what extent should it be considered federal common law, state law, or general law? The debate has reached something of an impasse, in part because various positions rely on, but also are in tension with, historical practice and constitutional structure. This Article describes the role that the law of nations actually has played throughout American history. In keeping with the original constitutional design, federal courts for much of that history enforced certain rules respecting other nations' "perfect rights" (or close analogues) under the …
International Human Rights In A Nutshell, Thomas Buergenthal, Dinah L. Shelton, David P. Stewart
International Human Rights In A Nutshell, Thomas Buergenthal, Dinah L. Shelton, David P. Stewart
GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works
This book describes the development of international human rights law. The main difference today is that individuals receive protection as individuals independent from their affiliation with a nation, as compared to the traditional consideration that only states had rights under international law. The law of humanitarian intervention first suggested that states do not receive unlimited discretion in their behavior under international law. The first chapter describes the earliest treaties and agreements giving rise to the current status of international law, such as the League of Nations and the International Labor Organization.
Form, Function, And The Powers Of International Courts, Dinah L. Shelton
Form, Function, And The Powers Of International Courts, Dinah L. Shelton
GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works
At the end of the nineteenth century, the international community began creating its first tribunals with the establishment of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Since then, numerous courts and tribunals have been created on the international stage. This Article examines the interplay of form, function, and the powers exercised by international courts. It first considers the functions or attributes of any institution that carries the name "court" or "tribunal" and reflects upon whether there are powers that must be deemed inherent in such an institution to allow it to fulfill the judicial function, irrespective of limitations placed on the court's …
Prohibited Discrimination In International Law, Dinah L. Shelton
Prohibited Discrimination In International Law, Dinah L. Shelton
GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works
This essay assesses how the prohibition of discrimination is understood in contemporary international human rights law. The essay aims to determine whether human rights bodies apply coherent theories when deciding which distinctions are permitted and which are invidious. The essay begins by surveying the provisions of human rights instruments such as the U.N. Charter that call for non-discrimination and equality. Next, the essay examines the jurisprudence of international tribunals and monitoring bodies, including judgments, advisory opinions, general comments, and observations on state periodic reports. The conclusion draws from this body of law a general approach to discrimination in international human …