Comparative and Foreign Law Commons^™

Climate Change, Fragmentation, And The Challenges Of Global Environmental Law: Elements Of A Post-Copenhagen Assemblage, William Boyd

Publications

The 2009 United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen has been widely viewed as a failure -a referendum in the eyes of many on the top-down, comprehensive approach to climate governance embodied in the Kyoto Protocol and carried forward in efforts to negotiate a successor regime. Despite a modest agreement on future work toward a new agreement, the most recent climate meeting in Cancún, Mexico reinforces this view, underscoring the conclusion that Copenhagen represents an important inflection point for international climate policy. Although much of the post-Copenhagen commentary has correctly identified various problems, even fatal flaws, with the process, very little …

Cleaning Up The Mess: The Economic, Environmental, And Cultural Impact Of U.S. Military Base Closures On Surrounding Communities, Elizabeth M. Myers

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

Today, many military bases have become financial burdens on the federal government, as the military’s needs and systems have changed drastically since the end of the Cold War. The federal government has discovered it can save a significant amount of money by shutting down unnecessary installations and shifting the work to ongoing bases. The federal government can also make money by selling the land of former military bases to surrounding communities or private companies.

Agenda: World Energy Justice Conference And Appropriate Technology Arcade, University Of Colorado Boulder. Center For Energy & Environmental Security, University Of Colorado Boulder. School Of Law

World Energy Justice Conference (October 23-24)

The 2009 CEES Energy Justice Conference took place at the University of Colorado Law School on October 23rd and 24th, 2009. It featured 11 sessions, more than 40 speakers, and attracted over 200 attendees. The Conference brought together leading international and U.S. decision-makers in politics, engineering, public health, law, business, economics, and innovators in the sciences to explore how best to address the critical needs of the energy-oppressed poor (EOP) through long-term interdisciplinary action, information sharing, and deployment of appropriate sustainable energy technologies (ASETs).

The Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law & Policy (CJIELP) at the University of Colorado Law …

Greenhouse Gas Regulation In Canada: Constitutional And Policy Dimensions, Shi-Ling Hsu, Robin Elliot

Scholarly Publications

Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions have risen dramatically since the 1997 negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol, and that rise has continued through Canada’s 2002 ratification of the Protocol. Along with economic dislocation, constitutional barriers to regulation have sometimes been cited as the reason for caution in regulating greenhouse gases. This article critically evaluates the constitutional arguments and examines the policy considerations surrounding various regulatory instruments that might be used to reduce greenhouse gases. We conclude that the Canadian constitution does not present any significant barriers to federal or provincial regulation and that policy considerations strongly favour the use of two instruments: …

Making Transfer Of Clean Technology Work: Lessons Of The Clean Development Mechanism, Mei Gechlik

San Diego International Law Journal

This Article takes a closer look at the case of China to fill the gap. It draws on numerous sources including Chinese laws and regulations, the country's policies on climate change, the country's technological capabilities and business environment, observations made by CDM specialists, and other studies of CDM projects. Such a comprehensive discussion, together with Dechezleprete et al.'s findings, will present a more complete picture of what actually drives the transfer of clean technologies to China and will, therefore, help design an effective post-Kyoto framework to facilitate international diffusion of clean technologies.

Joint Study Panel On Transparency In International Commercial Arbitration, John R. Crook

ILSA Journal of International & Comparative Law

Thanks to Professor Louise Ellen Teitz, and to the ILA and ASIL for initiating this joint study panel. Our topic brings to mind the tale of the blind men and the elephant.

Cicero's Beloved Republic: The Insufficiency Of Expanded Humanistic Rhetoric In The Service Of Comparative Law, Richard O. Brooks

ILSA Journal of International & Comparative Law

We are now at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The United States, like Republican Rome two millennia earlier, teeters between becoming an expanded empire, a declining republic, or paradoxically, both.

China's Environmental Problems: Is A Specialized Court The Solution?, Darcey J. Goetz

Washington International Law Journal

China’s economic growth has come at a high price: environmental and natural resource destruction. Presently, China’s legal system is not prepared to protect China’s environmental resources. China’s State Council has expressed an interest in establishing a civil and administrative system to manage environmental matters. Some of the objectives expressed by the State Council could be achieved by creating a special tribunal to address environmental issues, similar to New Zealand’s Environment Court. A specialized court promotes environmental protection, and specialization creates experts in a specific field, allowing for consistency among decisions. An environmental court will fit into China’s current legal system …

Comentarios Sobre Las Reformas Del Ano 2008 Al Sector Energetico Mexicano, Antonio Riva Palacio Lavin

ILSA Journal of International & Comparative Law

Desde inicios del milenio, en Mxico se vivi6 una fuerte discusi6n sobre la reforma legal del sector energ6tico; en particular en torno a Petr6leos Mexicanos (Pemex).

Green From Above: Climate Change, New Developmental Strategy, And Regulatory Choice In China, Dongsheng Zang

Articles

This essay discusses a developmental strategy formulated in China between 2004 and 2007, with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency in response to growing pressure from global concerns of climate change. It tries to show how a top-down regulatory structure was reinforced in the process.

From Environment To Energy: China's Reconceptualization Of Climate Change, Dongsheng Zang

Articles

Domestically and internationally, by the first half of 2009 it was already questionable whether the Copenhagen Conference could achieve anything. Anthony Giddens warned-in an otherwise inspiring book on climate change-that "doomsday is no longer a religious concept, a day of spiritual reckoning, but a possibility imminent in our society and economy." In such a context, it becomes imperative to revisit some of the fundamental issues in the Kyoto Protocol framework. Are timetables and targets really the best way to regulate climate change? Does the current framework create bad politics? Where are the powerful driving forces towards a low-carbon society?

This …

Conflicting Jurisdictions Over Disputes Arising From The Application Of Trade-Related Environmental Measures, Wen-Chen Shih

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

"Pollute First, Control Later" No More: Combating Environmental Degradation In China Through An Approach Based In Public Interest Litigation And Public Participation, Christine J. Lee

Washington International Law Journal

As China continues to face severe environmental degradation as a side effect of torrid economic growth and rise in population, the Chinese government has promulgated numerous environmental laws over the past few decades to address this critical issue. The efficacy of these laws, however, has been highly questionable. Although the laws themselves—modeled substantially on United States and European environmental laws—are relatively complete and comprehensive, difficulties in implementation and particularly enforcement have led to the continued deterioration of China’s environment. These failures in implementation and enforcement of environmental laws emerge from numerous factors, most notably from the decentralized structure of China’s …

Picking Up On What's Going Underground: Australia Should Exempt Carbon Capture And Geo-Sequestration From Part Iiia Of The Trade Practices Act, Adam M. Andrews

Washington International Law Journal

Australia has identified carbon capture and geo-sequestration (“CCS”) as a partial solution to the problem of global warming. CCS involves capturing carbon dioxide from large point-source emitters, such as power plants, and injecting it deep below ground level for disposal. Australia has not yet enacted CCS-specific regulations. As it stands now, Australia’s third-party access law, Part IIIA of the Trade Practices Act, creates regulatory uncertainty for CCS infrastructure projects and will deter investment in the industry. This regulatory uncertainty results from the ambiguous criteria used to determine whether a piece of infrastructure is appropriate for third-party access. Legislators could address …

A Realistic Evaluation Of Climate Change Litigation Through The Lens Of A Hypothetical Lawsuit, Shi-Ling Hsu

Scholarly Publications

Several dozen cases that can be classified as "climate change litigation" have been filed worldwide, and legal scholars have already generated a considerable amount of writing on the phenomenon. The debate and scholarship has sometimes gotten ahead of itself, reflecting on the normative implications of outcomes that are still speculative at this point. This Article seeks to ground this debate by analyzing the actual legal doctrines that may serve as bases for liability, and seeks to make a realistic evaluation of the likelihood of success of these types of suits. Climate change litigation, in its various forms, raises issues of …

The Energy Charter Treaty: An Overview, Lucy Reed, Lucy Martinez

ILSA Journal of International & Comparative Law

This article briefly discusses the substantive protections of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) (Section I, infra), the ECT's dispute resolution provisions (Section II, infra), and the ECT arbitral jurisprudence to date, including composition of ECT tribunals (Section III, infra).

Isla Journal Of International And Comparative Law, Isla Journal Of International And Comparative Law

ILSA Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

The Multiplication Of International Jurisdictions And The Integrity Of International Law, Luis Barrionuevo Arevalo

ILSA Journal of International & Comparative Law

While the multiplication of international courts shows the vitality and versatility of international law, it can also create serious problems for its unity and coherence and ultimately lead to its fragmentation.

Beyond Manson And Lukolongo: A Critique Of American And Zambian Eyewitness Law With Recommendations For Reform In The Developing World, Nicholas A. Kahn-Fogel

Faculty Scholarly Works

This article is a comparative analysis of U.S. and Zambian eyewitness law. I analyze the two countries' approaches to eyewitness law in the context of the longstanding debate on whether rules or standards best effectuate underlying social values. With regard to the United States, I conclude that either a rule or a standard for admission of eyewitness evidence could provide effective protection of defendants' due process rights while also promoting the societal interest in admitting reliable proof of guilt. I then conduct the first comprehensive analysis of Zambian eyewitness cases and conclude that Zambian eyewitness law is, in some ways, …

Doubling Up The Horses In Midstream: Enhancing U.S. Patent Dispute Resolution By The Pto's Adoption Of The Jpo's Hantei Request System, Gino Cheng

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

For entities seeking to preempt or defend against adverse claims of infringement, navigating the present U.S. patent dispute resolution system is a thorny path. Judicial standing requirements hinder a potential defendant from fully assessing its risks before making and placing in jeopardy certain investments or assuming negotiation costs, thereby increasing its accountability, the financial stakes, and the probability of retaliation. While the standing doctrine has become more favorable to would-be licensees over time, a readily accessible opining mechanism for infringement would usher in still more benefits, including those unachievable through either litigation or conventional forms of alternative dispute resolution. Although …

Ubiquitous Money And Walking Banks: Environment, Technology, And Competition In Mobile Banking, Jongho Kim

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

Litigating Canada-U.S. Transboundary Harm: International Lawmaking And The Threat Of Reciprocity, Shi-Ling Hsu

Scholarly Publications

No abstract provided.

The Contribution Of The Special Court For Sierra Leone To The Development Of International Law, Charles C. Jalloh

Articles

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Local Governments In Great Lakes Environmental Governance: A Canadian Perspective, Marcia Valiante

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Restoration of environmental integrity in the Great Lakes Basin has been only a qualified success after thirty-five years of efforts pursuant to policies developed by federal, state, and provincial governments. Many unresolved problems stem from activities under local government control, yet in the past local governments were excluded from Great Lakes policy-making. By looking at recent changes in the powers, interests, experience, and influence of local governments in Ontario, this Essay concludes that local governments now have the ability to participate meaningfully in Great Lakes policy formation and implementation. To include local governments would improve the chances of successful restoration …

The Power Structure: Energy, Politics, And The Public Interest In The Lng Debate, Irma S. Russell

Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Analisis Del Principio De Complentariedad De La Corte Penal Internacional Tras El Lente De Las Cortes Federales, Ada Sheng

ILSA Journal of International & Comparative Law

La firma del Estatuto de Roma que cre6 la Corte Penal Internacional (CPI) fue visto por muchos en la comunidad de derecho internacional como un momento constitucional similar a la implementaci6n del Acto de Judicatura de 1789.

"The Ghosts Of Colonialism In Africa": Silences And Shortcomings In The Icjs 2005 Armed Activities Decision, Guy Fiti Sinclair

ILSA Journal of International & Comparative Law

International law likes to imagine itself as neutral, dispassionate, and prin- cipled, operating above the petty squabbles and prejudices of states and peoples.

Corporate Accountability For Environmental Human Rights Abuse In The Developing Nations: Making The Case For Punitive Damages Under The Alien Tort Claims Act, Audrey Koecher

Florida State University Journal of Transnational Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Should The Relationship Of Wto Obligations To U.S. Law Be Reinvented?, John R. Magnus

ILSA Journal of International & Comparative Law

The blurb in your program brochure asks, "Should the U.S. adopt a new procedure for implementing adverse World Trade Organization (WTO) decisions, possibly including an active role for U.S. courts?"

Transboundary Pollution: Harmonizing International And Domestic Law, Noah D. Hall

Law Faculty Research Publications

Addressing transnational pollution requires both international and domestic law. Transnational pollution is an international problem that demands and deserves the attention of international legal mechanisms such as treaties, agreements, arbitration, and international management and governance. At the same time, transnational pollution problems can often be addressed more effectively and efficiently through the domestic legal system. An ideal approach is to harmonize transnational pollution management and dispute resolution under international and domestic law. This Article seeks to provide pragmatic, feasible, and politically realistic solutions to transnational pollution by harmonizing international and domestic law. However, given the diversity in geography, domestic legal …