Comparative and Foreign Law Commons^™

Toward A Theory Of Persuasive Authority, Chad Flanders

All Faculty Scholarship

The debate about the citation of foreign authorities has become stale. One side says that citing foreign authorities means being beholden to foreign sovereigns. The other side responds that this is nonsense, as the authorities are being used only for their "persuasive value." But do we even have a good idea of what it means to be a persuasive authority? My essay is the first to focus entirely on the notion of persuasive authority and to make the first steps towards providing a general theory of it. I make two major contributions. First, I try to show that there is …

Addressing Judicial Activism In The Indian Supreme Court: Towards An Evolved Debate, Madhav Khosla

Faculty Scholarship

The Indian Supreme Court has invited a great deal of interest for its alleged activism and the role that it has begun to play in Indian governance. Recent years have been witness to substantial debate on the Court's functioning, with scholars positing views and raising concerns with considerable passion. This paper analyzes the judicial activism discourse in the Indian Supreme Court by focusing on the contributions of Professor Upendra Baxi. It argues that, despite the attention the Court has received on the question of judicial activism, the debate in this area has, for the most part, failed to engage with …

Is Law An Economic Contest? French Reactions To The Doing Business World Bank Reports And Economic Analysis Of The Law, Anne-Julie Kerhuel, Bénédicte Fauvarque-Cosson

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The economic analysis of law has provoked strong reactions among French academics, in particular since 2004 when the first of the Doing Business reports was published. French jurists have joined forces to expose the methodological limits inherent to these reports, which rated France a long way behind other legal systems allegedly more able to facilitate business. In its first part, this article examines the various reactions to these reports, almost all of which were published in French only. In the second part, the focus is on the position of economic analysis in French law, its role, and, in particular, the …

The Kosovo Crisis: A Dostoievskian Dialogue On International Law, Statecraft, And Soulcraft, Antonio F. Perez, Robert J. Delahunty

Scholarly Articles

The secession of Kosovo from Serbia in February 2008 represents a stage in the unfolding of a revolution of "constitutional" dimensions in International Law that began with NATO's 1999 intervention in Kosovo against Serbia. NATO's intervention called into question the authority and viability of U.N. Charter system for maintaining international peace. Likewise, the West's decision in 2008 to support Kosovo's secession from Serbia dealt a further blow to the central post-War legal rules and institutions for controlling and mitigating Great power rivalry. Russia's later support for South Ossetia's secession from Georgia demonstrated the potential that the Kosovo precedent has for …

Notice Otherwise Given: Will In Absentia Trials At The Special Tribunal For Lebanon Violate Human Rights?, Chris Jenks

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

On March 1, 2009, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) commenced operations in the Netherlands. The mandate of the STL is to try those allegedly responsible for the 2005 bombing in Beirut which killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. A collaborative effort between Lebanon and the United Nations, the STL is to be of “international character based on the highest standards of justice.” However, the STL’s in absentia trial provisions are based on a far different, and lower, standard. This article posits that the STL’s in absentia trial provisions violate human rights norms, indeed the U.N. expressly rejected such …

Restating The U.S. Law Of International Commercial Arbitration, George A. Bermann

Faculty Scholarship

The American Law Institute's new Restatement of the U.S. Law of International Commercial Arbitration is only barely underway, and the reporters began with a chapter, on the recognition and enforcement of awards, that should represent for them a comfort zone of sorts within the overall project. Yet already a number of difficult, and to some extent unexpectedly difficult, questions have arisen. Some of the difficulties stem from the very nature of an ALl Restatement project. Others stem from the nature of arbitration itself and, more particularly, from the inherent tension between arbitral and judicial functions in the arbitration arena. Still …

Islam’S Fourth Amendment: Search And Seizure In Islamic Doctrine And Muslim Practice, Sadiq Reza

Faculty Scholarship

Modern scholars regularly assert that Islamic law contains privacy protections similar to those of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Two Quranic verses in particular - one that commands Muslims not to enter homes without permission, and one that commands them not to 'spy' - are held up, along with reports from the Traditions (Sunna) that repeat and embellish on these commands, as establishing rules that forbid warrantless searches and seizures by state actors and require the exclusion of evidence obtained in violation of these rules. This Article tests these assertions by: (1) presenting rules and doctrines Muslim jurists …

Pride, Prejudice, And Japan's Unified State, Suzanne M. Sable

University of the District of Columbia Law Review

Japan is undoubtedly one of the foremost economic powers in the world and is internationally recognized as a democratic leader among modern nations. The economy's rapid growth in the mid-twentieth century has been attributed to its booming technical industries, including its electronic and automobile industries. However, Japan is unique in that it has retained traditions associated with typically less advanced nations-namely, a regressive human rights agenda. Although cultural, ethnic, and social minorities continue to exist on Japanese soil today, Japan's social policy of Nihonjinron allows the majority of the population to disregard such minorities and perpetuate the government's vision of …

Learning From Others: Sustaining The Internationalization And Globalization Of U.S. Law School Curriculums, James Maxeiner

All Faculty Scholarship

This address has three principal points: (1) An overview of how we are going about internationalizing the law school curriculum today in the United States; (2) Whether we are making as much progress as we should and how learning from others is central to sustaining our progress such as it is; and (3) What some of the obstacles to such learning are.

Electronic Tax Fraud - Are There "Sales Zappers" In Japan?, Richard Thompson Ainsworth

Faculty Scholarship

Although there is no public acknowledgement - in the press, in a court case, though any announcement by the Japanese National Tax Administration, or in any academic studies or papers - that Zappers and Phantom-ware are a fraud problem in Japan, a number of factors suggest that Japan may be very fertile ground for technology-assisted cash skimming fraud. Those factors include: (1) a high concentration of small to medium sized businesses; (2) the fact that the retail economy is highly cash-based; and (3) the high level of technology acceptance in the Japanese retail sector - electronic cash registers (ECRs) and …

International & Comparative Law Perspectives: Fall 2008, Int'l & Comp. Law Program

International & Comparative Law Perspectives

No abstract provided.

The [Capital] Punishment Fits The Crime: A Comparative Analysis Of The Death Penalty And Proportionality In The United States Of America And The People's Republic Of China, Ryan Florio

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

The governments of both the United States and China maintain the death penalty as a means of punishing its most dangerous criminals, but with an astounding 68 capital offenses, China perennially remains the world leader in executions. This article examines the theory of proportionality of criminal punishment and how it relates to the respective death penalty policies in the United States and China. A comparative analysis will reveal two extremely different societies with two different perspectives on proportionality. one that recognizes and protects fundamental freedoms and another that places emphasis on collective societal welfare over individual rights. The article will …

Introduction To The Symposium On Corss-Border Family Mediation With And Emphasis On The 1980 Hague Convention On The Civil Aspects Of International Child Abduction, Melvin A. Rubin

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Thunder In Paradise: The Interplay Of Broadening United States Anti-Money Laundering Legislation And Jurisprudence With The Caribbean Law Governing Offshore Asset Preservation, Evan Metaxatos

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Habeas Corpus, Constructive Custody And The Future Of Federal Jurisdiction After Munaf, Karen Shafrir

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

In 2004-05, two American Citizens, Shaqir Omar and Mohamed Munaf were separately arrested in Iraq and placed in the Camp Cropper Military Facility, pending adjudication. Both prisoners filed writs of habeas corpus in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The primary issue that the lower courts grappled with was whether or not the courts had jurisdiction to hear the petitions. After various appeals, the United States Supreme Court concluded that the federal courts did have jurisdiction to entertain the habeas petitions but that the petitions would fail on the merits. This paper argues that the standard …

Creating A Legal Society In The Western Hemisphere To Support The Hague Convention On Civil Aspects Of International Child Abduction, Timothy Arcaro

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Practical And Ethical Implications Of Mediating International Child Abduction Cases: A New Frontier For Mediators, Jennifer Zawid

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

When Human Rights Conflict: Mediating International Parental Kidnapping Disputes Involving The Domestic Violence Defense, Julia Alanen

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

United States V. Burns: Canada's Extraterritorial Extension Of Canadian Law And Creation Of A Canadian "Safe Haven" In Capital Extradition Cases, Andrea Cortland

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Tobacco Control And The Role Of Litigation: A Survey Of Issues In Law, Policy, And Economics, Basil C. Bitas, Pedro P. Barros

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

This article examines the course of tobacco litigation in the United States and its implications for law and policy on both the national and international levels. In our view, the disparate legal traditions and attitudes of countries outside the United States will lead the majority of such states to opt for the direct and transparent regulation of tobacco activities through formal and perhaps consensual channels. This will likely promote effective tobacco control without the policy mix encompassing a period of prolonged litigation buttressed by settlement and regulation, which has characterized the U.S. process. Therefore, despite some increased litigation in the …

Congressional Response To Wto Sanctions: Turning Lemons Into Lemonade In The American Jobs Creation Act Of 2004, Robin Organek

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

A unique tension exists between the World Trade Organization's various desires to level the international commercial trading field, and the United States' periodic desires to prioritize its own domestic goods and, in some cases, protect its own corporate citizens. This article will explore various historical rifts and what the future is likely to hold in light of Congress' passage of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004.

Some Realism About Legal Certainty In The Globalization Of The Rule Of Law, James Maxeiner

All Faculty Scholarship

The rule of law is at the heart of globalization. It promises both international and domestic routes to peace, security, democracy, human rights and sustainable development worldwide. A central tenet of the rule of law is legal certainty. For most modern jurists, it is a matter of course that legal certainty is a systemic goal, even if that goal is not always fully realized. But for American jurists who count themselves legal realists, legal certainty is not even a flawed goal; it is a childish myth. This address seeks to raise awareness of this fundamental difference and to show its …

Foreign Affairs, International Law, And The New Federalism: Lessons From Coordination, Robert B. Ahdieh

Faculty Scholarship

Even after the departure of two of its most prominent advocates - Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor - the federalism revolution initiated by the Supreme Court almost twenty years ago continues its onward advance. If recent court decisions and congressional legislation are any indication, in fact, it may have reached a new beachhead in the realm of foreign affairs and international law. The emerging federalism in foreign affairs and international law is of a distinct form, however, with distinct implications for the relationship of sub-national, national, and international institutions and interests.

This article - prepared for …

Changing The Paradigm Of Stock Ownership From Concentrated Towards Dispersed Ownership? Evidence From Brazil And Consequences For Emerging Countries, Erica Gorga

Cornell Law Faculty Working Papers

This paper analyzes micro-level dynamics of changes in ownership structures. It investigates a unique event: changes in ownership patterns currently taking place in Brazil. It builds upon empirical evidence to advance theoretical understanding of how and why concentrated ownership structures can change towards dispersed ownership.

Commentators argue that the Brazilian capital markets are finally taking off. The number of listed companies and IPOs in the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange (Bovespa) has greatly increased. Firms are migrating to Bovespa’s special listing segments, which require higher standards of corporate governance. Companies have sold control in the market, and the stock market has …

Preserving The Corporate Attorney-Client Privilege: Here And Abroad, Robert J. Anello

Penn State International Law Review (1982 - 2011)

No abstract provided.

Introductory Note To The Agreement Between The Republic Of Poland And The United States Of America Concerning The Deployment Of Ground-Based Ballistic Missile Defense Interceptors In The Territory Of The Republic Of Poland, David Fidler

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Filling Gaps Left By Congress Or Violating Federal Rights: An Analysis Of Local Ordinances Restricting Undocumented Immigrants' Access To Housing, Clifton R. Gruhn

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Failed Invigoration Of Argentina's Constitution: Presidential Omnipotence, Repression, Instability, And Lawlessness In Argentine History, Mugambi Jouet

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

The "Exile" Of Malcolm Watson: Was This United States Citizen And Convicted Sexual Offender Really Expatriated To Canada?, N. Pieter M. O'Leary

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Proportionality In The Criminal Law: The Differing American Versus Canadian Approaches To Punishment, Roozbeh (Rudy) B. Baker

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.