Law Commons^™

Is It Science Or Storytime? Expert Testimony Evaluating Child Witness Credibility In Sexual Assault Cases, Elizabeth I. Boals

American University Law Review

While jurors struggle with determining any witnesses’ credibility, an even more arduous task is determining the credibility of a child victim in a sexual assault case. Due to developmental immaturity, children lack important recall and communication skills, and the well-established procedures of direct and cross examination are ineffective at producing accurate and complete trial testimony. Despite the adversarial system being proven ineffective in these contexts, American courts remain hesitant to admit expert testimony based on established psychology tools. Specifically, courts have questioned the application of Statement Validity Assessments (“SVAs”), to assist jurors in evaluating witness credibility, as they believe such …

Letter Form The Editor, Wayne Rash, Iii

American University National Security Law Brief

In our last issue of The National Security Law Brief, Vol. 13, No. 1, we highlighted the dynamism that makes National Security Law such an exciting field. In this issue, No. 2, we continue with the dynamism theme. National security law is a field in constant change that often leaves us questioning how these changes will shape the law.

The Need For An Australian Regulatory Code For The Use Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) In Military Application, Sascha-Dominik Dov Bachmann, Richard V. Grant

American University National Security Law Brief

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is enabling rapid technological innovation and is ever more pervasive, in a global technological eco-system lacking suitable governance and absence of regulation over AI-enabled technologies. Australia is committed to being a global leader in trusted secure and responsible AI and has escalated the development of its own sovereign AI capabilities. Military and Defence organisations have similarly embraced AI, harnessing advantages for applications supporting battlefield autonomy, intelligence analysis, capability planning, operations, training, and autonomous weapons systems. While no regulation exists covering AI-enabled military systems and autonomous weapons, these platforms must comply with International Humanitarian Law, the Law of …

Contemporary Tribal Lawyering & Legal Ethics, Murphy Chen

PEEL Alumni Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Trafficking-In And Harvesting Tax Benefits May Be Subject To Restrictions And Limitations, Ray A. Knight, Dr. Lee G. Knight

Campbell Law Review

Trafficking in and harvesting preexisting or manufactured tax losses and credits may be both beneficial and lucrative, but it may be subject to restrictions and limitations. Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) Section 269 generally provides that acquisition of control of a corporation to gain the benefit of a deduction, credit, or other allowance is prohibited. Does the Section 269 prohibition present a concrete barrier or is it just a smoke screen? This article examines the business purpose and economic substance doctrines to explain ways to circumvent Section 269. Then, this article analyzes IRC Section 382 to describe its impact and limitations …

No-Concessions Policies And The 2023 Israel-Hamas Mediation In Context, Ilias Bantekas

American University International Law Review

Most states in the Western world maintain a no-concession policy towards terrorist groups, pirates, criminal organizations, and rogue entities, on the basis of which they refuse ransom payments, political concessions, and in many cases even direct engagement. The United States and the United Kingdom are the strictest in this regard, with many European states demonstrating a wavering stance. Even so, the United States has on several occasions since the late 1970s deviated from its strict no-concessions policy. This article suggests that since the late 2000s, the United States foresaw that dialogue and engagement with some (but not all) terrorist groups …

The Slippery Concept Of "Object And Purpose" In International Criminal Law, Patrick J. Keenan

American University International Law Review

In little more than twenty-five years, the field of international criminal law has grown from a small slice of public international law into a functioning system of international justice, complete with multiple juridical bodies and substantial scholarly attention. Building on the legacy of the Nuremberg Tribunals and drawing from international humanitarian law, human rights law, and domestic criminal law principles, international criminal law has become its own discipline. Creating any new field of law is a complicated endeavor; this is especially true when the field affects and is affected by so many politically sensitive issues. Throughout this doctrinal experiment, one …

Sanctions As Virtue-Signaling: Transitioning From Symbolism To Reparation For Rohingya Genocide Victim, Kelsey Peden

American University International Law Review

Kyi sat on the banks of the Inya Lake, saying goodbye to the place they said was no longer her home. The government of Myanmar had given her an option: leave or be arrested. She felt lucky to leave; most activists she knew did not get a warning first. A few kilometers away, her parents’ graves sat cleaned, adorned with fresh flowers. She hoped her sister would keep up the task in her absence, but she hadn’t been able to get ahold of her in quite some time. The feeling of the country was getting more concerned—"frantic" she explained, laughing, …

The Dialogic Function Of I.C.J. Provisional Measures Decisions In The U.N. Political Organs: Assessing The Evidence, Michael Ramsden, Jiang Zixin

American University International Law Review

The aim of this article is to consider the degree to which provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (I.C.J.) have influenced United Nations (U.N.) diplomacy and the exercise of functions by its political organs in the areas of international peace, security, and human rights. This article evaluates this influence by examining decisions in which the I.C.J. indicated provisional measures, denoting the remedy available to the Court, on an interim basis, to restrain or instruct the parties to take certain measures to preserve either or both parties’ rights pending the outcome of the case. In doing so, this …

Who Thinks Treaties Are Like Contracts? Not John Marshall, David P. Stewart, Diana A. A. Reisman

American University International Law Review

Courts in the United States are fond of analogizing treaties to contracts. The U.S. Supreme Court has done so on numerous occasions, as have nearly all federal circuit courts. Indeed, the treaty-as-contract trope has permeated U.S. legal discourse since at least the early 1800s when Chief Justice John Marshall wrote in Foster v. Neilson that “[a] treaty is in its nature a contract between two nations, not a legislative act.”

Preserving The Sea In A Radioactive World: How Japan's Plan To Release Treated Nuclear Wastewater Into Pacific Ocean Violates Unclos, Victoria Cruz-De Jesus

American University International Law Review

On December 10, 1982, the 1973–1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III) concluded. Japan became a signatory to the Convention on February 7, 1983 and ratified the Convention on June 20, 1996. Subsequently, Japan became a party to the treaty and committed itself to abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Ftas' Contribution Towards A More Flexible Copyright Space: Possibilities And Limits, Maria Vasquez Callo-Muller

American University International Law Review

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have often been considered instruments for heightened intellectual property rights protection, thereby in detriment of a more flexible copyright space. However, since the adoption of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, some FTAs have been incorporating a clause on the “Balance in Copyright and Related Rights Systems.” Among these, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and, more recently, the 2021 Australia-U.K. FTA contain such a clause. In addition, more discrete FTAs, such as the AustraliaPeru FTA, also incorporate similar provisions. This article considers what incorporating such clauses in FTAs means for the interpretation of …

The Gendered Face Of Climate Change: Exploring The Impact Of Climate Change On Gender-Based Violence And The Role Of State And Non-State Actors In Effecting Climate Justice, Hannah Wilson

American University International Law Review

Climate change affects men and women differently. While some individual women may be less vulnerable to climate change than some men, the global perpetuation of discrimination, inequality, patriarchal structures, and systematic barriers contribute to an overall higher risk of women experiencing harmful effects of climate change. International human rights law prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender. However, in practice, systematic discrimination, harmful stereotypes, and social, economic and political barriers related to gender can lead to varied climate change impacts with respect to health, food security, livelihoods and human mobility, and more, which may significantly limit women’s and girls’ adaptive …

Criminalizing Environmental Degradation And Devastation: New Prospects For The Icc Rome Statute, Kelly Pisimisi

American University International Law Review

Over the last decade, steadily increasing voices are ringing the tocsin to the international community for the impact of human activities on climate and their potential consequences on human life and dignity. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its recent (6th) Assessment Report, confirmed this assertion. Greenhouse gas concentrations and emissions (particularly CO2), as well as the retreat of arctic glaciers and the subsequent sea level rise causing—among other issues—the acidification of the oceanic waters, are some of the most evident human-induced implications on climate and the environment.

La Limitacion De Los Derechos Humanos En La Lucha Contra El Cambio Climatico: El Caso De Los Derechos Culturales De Las Porlaciones Indigenas Y La Energia Hidroelectrica De Embalse En America Latina, Sebastian Sauter Odio

American University International Law Review

El cambio climático es el resultado de la emisión de gases de efecto invernadero (GEI) producto de actividades antropogénicas. Al ser el sector energético el mayor contribuyente de GEI a nivel mundial, los esfuerzos para mitigar el cambio climático deben comprender la transformación de la matriz energética, hoy basada prioritariamente en la combustión de hidrocarburos, a una que involucre una mayor participación de las energías renovables.

Discussant Commentary On The Twenty-Fourth Annual Grotius Lecture, Karima Bennoune

American University International Law Review

I express my sincere thanks to the American Society of International Law and the International Legal Studies Program at American University Washington College of Law for the invitation to be this year’s commentator. It is indeed an honor to respond to Judge Charlesworth’s erudite Grotius Lecture: “The Art of International Law.”

Sea Level Rise And Maritime Delimitation In The Eastern Caribbean: A Comparative Approach, Rosemarie Cadogan

American University International Law Review

Thank you, Mr. Moderator. Let me just start by thanking the organizers today for having me on the program, and I want to extend to everyone my gratitude for having me here today. I am going to look at, as the title suggests, sea level rise and maritime delimitation in the Eastern Caribbean, and I am going to take a comparative approach as I compare it with the Pacific–South Pacific region. I am going to take it that all protocols have been observed, and, in the interest of time, I will go straight through to my presentation with the one …

Latin America's Contribution To The Normative Discussion Around Rising Sea Levels: Incorporating The Principles Of Uti Possidetis And Solidarity, Wagner Menezes

American University International Law Review

Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, good morning. Initially, I would like to give thanks for the kind invitation made by Professor Claudio Grossman and now members of the committee to participate in this special conference on sea level rise and International Law’s impact on the Americas, which has set up an ahead of time debate due to the effects that are being experienced by the entire international community.

Ambulatory Versus Fixed Baselines Under The Law Of The Sea In The Context Of Rising Sea Levels, Sean Murphy

American University International Law Review

It is a great pleasure to be here, especially with such an esteemed group of participants. My thanks to all the co-sponsors for the invitation to participate in this event; I am very happy to contribute to the conversation.

When “diving” into consideration of sea-level rise issues, one finds various “pools” of international law that are perfectly suited for answering some of the issues we are addressing. For example, Professor Galvão Teles spoke about the protection of persons in the event of sea-level rise. There are, of course, various aspects of human rights law and international law relating to disasters …

Approaches To Sea Level Rise: A Comparative View Of Emerging Policy Responses By The African And The American Regions, Charles Chernor Jalloh

American University International Law Review

It is a great privilege to be here with all of you tonight. Thank you very much to you, Professor Grossman, the moderator of this panel, and to all the organizers for inviting me to be part of this really important event. I hope this is the first of many such events concerning this really pressing issue for the international community: the issue of sea level rise which is already affecting peoples and States in many different regions of our world.

Hostility Is In The Eye Of The Beholder: Why Congress Should Decriminalize Hostile Work Environment Sexual Harassment In The Military, Adam J. Crane

Criminal Law Practitioner

In 2022, for the first time in American history, Congress enacted legislation criminalizing hostile work environment sexual harassment. More serious types of sexual harassment have long been criminal under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, but hostile work environment harassment is a civil wrong, not a crime, and should not have been made into one. Section 539D of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (now listed under Article 134, UCMJ (Sexual Harassment), is both unconstitutional and counterproductive. It violates the Fifth Amendment for vagueness by failing to provide fair notice of what is prohibited, and the First …

Climate Change And Sea Level Rise: Assessing Their Impacts On Belize, Carlos Fuller

American University Law Review

First of all, as we all know, there are three aspects of climate change that we know occur. The first is the increase of global temperatures because of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. As a result of the warming of the oceans, sea levels rise; but even more importantly, additional fresh water is entering the oceans, which is now the predominant factor leading to increased sea-level rates. Finally, a change of the hydrological cycle—because of warmer temperatures, we are seeing more extreme weather events and shifts in precipitation patterns.

The impacts, however, are more important—for example, the impacts of …

Examining The Effectiveness Of Mental Health And Law Enforcement Partnerships In California, Domonique Hualani Rood

CGU Theses & Dissertations

In California, many law enforcement agencies have partnered with local mental health services to manage situations that involve people with mental illness in crisis; much of the research on these programs has focused on the effectiveness and financial savings of implementing these programs (i.e. reductions in adjudications and hospitalizations). This study examined whether these programs are effectively managed mental health crises across California. This study implemented a sequential mixed methods design that used qualitative data to explain quantitative results to determine effectiveness. Quantitatively, effectiveness was defined as a reduction in injury (both in severity and frequency of injury), arrests, and …

Table Of Contents, Loyola Consumer Law Review

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Unscheduled Creditor In A Chapter 7 Case With Assets, Daniel M. Tavera

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Death By Fashion: Consumers Face Health Risks By Purchasing From Unregulated Fast Fashion Brands, Elizabeth Durosko

Loyola Consumer Law Review

With the rise of globalization and, as an effect, outsourcing, fast fashion has grown in popularity and accessibility. While this trend provides consumers with greater accessibility to affordable fashion trends, it also comes with significant costs.

In the past few years, studies have revealed that clothing produced via various fast fashion brands contain elevated levels of toxic chemicals. While legislatures have tried to regulate these issues, the existing laws fall short of protecting consumers from these harmful chemicals.

To address this issue and better regulate the industry, the United States needs a widespread solution. U.S. legislatures must look to other …

Table Of Contents, Loyola Consumer Law Review

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Dark Patterns In Law And Economics Framework, Katri Nousiainen, Catalina Perdomo Ortega

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Federal Trade Commission's Green Guides: Failing The American Consumer And The Planet, Thomas Farbacher

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Discussant Commentary On The Twenty-Fourth Annual Grotius Lecture, Karima Bennoune

American University Law Review

I express my sincere thanks to the American Society of International Law and the International Legal Studies Program at American University Washington College of Law for the invitation to be this year’s commentator. It is indeed an honor to respond to Judge Charlesworth’s erudite Grotius Lecture: “The Art of International Law.”

Just getting to say Judge Hilary Charlesworth alone is very meaningful. She is only the fifth woman judge out of 110 total judges on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) so far. Thanks to hard work by feminist international lawyers like her, there is finally an uptick in women’s …