Comparative and Foreign Law Commons^™

Italian Comparative: A Trait Of The Legal System, Bianca Gardella Tedeschi

FIU Law Review

The cultural environment of Italian academia was open to suggestions that came from other legal systems and shaped an eclectic legal culture. Italy is an hybrid system that took the code from France, the legal science from Germany, and has always been receptive of foreign suggestions. This cultural background may explain why the Italian legal curriculum requires a mandatory course of comparative law and why comparative law has been an important field of Italian legal research. At the same time, comparative law was characterized by an an important mark of antiformalism, necessary to swim through the times of Fascism and …

Urban Commons In Italy, Michele Graziadei

FIU Law Review

The Italian experience with urban commons has been very rich indeed. In the last ten years or so the number of social and legal initiatives relating to urban commons in Italy has exploded. The present Italian situation shows that urban commons are here to stay. By now, they are part of the collective imagination, of political and socio-economic transformative projects, of administrative practices, and of the law. The demand for the commons in the city originates from the social movements that intend to resist the penetration of the market and of private property in every ambit of life but is …

The Spree Of Principles And The Abuses Of The Balancing Doctrine In Brazil, Ronaldo Porto Macedo

FIU Law Review

This article delves into the nuanced distinction between principles and rules in legal discourse, emphasizing their differing grammatical functions. While acknowledging the necessity of principles in legal reasoning, it cautions against their unchecked proliferation, exemplified by the Ellwanger case. The analysis underscores the importance of contextual understanding in discerning between principles and policies, advocating for a philosophical-political reflective approach. It critiques the overreliance on balancing-proportionality as a universal method, warning against its potential for dogmatic reduction and infringement on fundamental rights like freedom of expression. Ultimately, it calls for a balanced, reflective interpretation of principles to mitigate the risks inherent …

Global Antitrust From The Global South: A Comparative Law Void, Dina I. Waked

FIU Law Review

This paper discusses the attempts at creating an international antitrust regime from the perspective of the Global South. Today’s diffused competition laws, have arguably muted calls for an international antitrust regime. Given this diffusion, a global regime has indeed emerged. Within such a system, differentiated and selective antitrust enforcements are proposed as ways to achieve national public interest goals.

Developments At The United Nations International Law Commission On Sea-Level Rise, Claudio Grossman

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

Sea-level rise is a pressing global challenge that could generate catastrophic consequences for humankind. The implications for States and people all over the world are grave, making rising sea-levels a matter of utmost urgency. This paper will examine some of the challenges presented by the phenomenon of sea-level rise in relation to international law with a focus on the analysis undertaken by the Study Group on Sea-Level Rise (“Study Group”) of the United Nations International Law Commission (“ILC”).

Property Rights In Space: Where Does The Law Stand Now?, Frans Von Der Dunk

Space, Cyber, and Telecommunications Law Program: Faculty Publications

1. Introduction: property rights in outer space?
2. Rights over immovable property and outer space – the discussion on Article II of the Outer Space Treaty
3. National developments contributing to an interpretation of Article II of the Outer Space Treaty
4. Concluding remarks

In discussing the issue of “property rights in outer space,” it should first be clarified that at a general level there might be three categories of property rights at issue.

First, there is the issue of “intellectual property rights,” the rights that individuals or other right-holders might enjoy when it comes to exclusively using, marketing and/or …

Misery, Melancholy, And Misfortune: A Migrant Case Study, Jayanth K. Krishnan

Articles by Maurer Faculty

There is an ongoing crisis of despair involving migrants from abroad who are seeking refuge in one of the world’s longest-standing, post-World War II democracies—India. There are roughly 4.9 million noncitizen migrants in India, with most coming from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Because these migrants often live in the shadows, they are frequently deprived of fundamental human rights.

On the one hand, it may seem surprising that this population remains so vulnerable. After all, India’s Supreme Court has been a leading institutional light in safeguarding the rights of many marginalized groups. Supreme courts in other countries point …

English Company Law: Legal Architecture For A Global Law Market, Andrew P. Morriss, Charlotte Ku

Faculty Scholarship

English-architecture company law describes the distinct and diverse group of company or corporate law used in more than 60 jurisdictions worldwide. English-architecture company law provides a robust platform for innovation and development due to its permissive structure, opportunity for choice of law in an entity’s internal governance, and scalability permitting variation for small and large entities. It is the dominant form among International Financial Centers (IFCs), many of which have legal systems with a British connection. This body of law responds to competition and maintains dynamism by engaging its practice community through “learning by doing” and “frictioneering.” An architecture approach …

The Crime Of Aggression: Its Nature, The Leadership Clause, And The Paradox Of Immunity, David Luban

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The paper, written for a research handbook, critically surveys some fundamental philosophical, historical, and doctrinal issues in the crime of aggression. The two introductory sections set the theoretical issues in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and explain the origins of criminalizing aggression under the heading of “crimes against peace.” Section 3 explores an ambiguity between aggression as first use of force and aggression as unprovoked use of force, while section 4 discusses the doctrinal distinction between acts of aggression and wars of aggression.

Sections 5 and 6 turn to the theory of aggression. Section 5 examines modern versus …

Cultural Property: “Progressive Property In Action”, J. Peter Byrne

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Cultural property law fulfills many of the normative and jurisprudential goals of progressive property theory. Cultural property limits the normal prerogatives of owners in order to give legal substance to the interests of the public or of specially protected non-owners. It recognizes that preservation of and access to heritage resources advance public values such as cultural enrichment and community identity. The proliferation of cultural property laws and their acceptance by courts has occurred despite a resurgent property fundamentalism embraced by the Supreme Court. Thus, this Article seeks to explicate the category of cultural property, its fulfillment of progressive theory, and …

Addressing The Negative Externalities Of Trade: Flanking Policies And The Role Of Package Treaties, Gregory Shaffer

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This article examines the rationales for addressing sustainability and social inclusion in trade policy and the tradeoffs among imperfect institutional choices in doing so through “flanking policies.” It examines three types of negative spillovers or externalities implicated by trade: material, moral, and social/political. Part I defines terms and sets forth the argument. Part II typologizes the three categories of negative externalities and then highlights the challenges posed for flanking measures given the reciprocal nature of externalities. It respectively addresses environmental harms and labor and social inclusion concerns. Part III assesses different institutional choices for addressing negative externalities, dividing them between …

Key Developments At The World Bank Inspection Panel (2013-2024), Dilek Barlas

Perspectives

Through the lens of important cases, this essay reflects on major developments that occurred at the Panel during the tenure of the author as the Executive Secretary of the World Bank Inspection Panel and shows how the Panel has evolved to improve accessibility, has influenced overall development policies, and has become a catalyst for institutional change. The essay observes that the Panel’s success has largely been due to its structural and operational independence, reporting as it does directly to the Bank’s Board of Executive Directors. However, there are challenges facing the Panel on certain issues, including most importantly its independence, …

Legal Risk And Accountability In Development Finance: Lessons From Jam V. International Finance Corporation, Michelle Harrison, Shannon Marcoux

Perspectives

In a landmark decision in 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Jam v. International Finance Corporation that international organizations like the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private lending arm of the World Bank Group, can be sued in U.S. courts, ending the “absolute immunity” from suit that they had long claimed. The Jam lawsuit arose out of IFC’s gross mishandling of the Tata Mundra coal-fired power plant project in Gujarat, India, which has destroyed the livelihoods, environment, and way of life of local communities living in its shadow. The lawsuit, and especially the clash between IFC’s sweeping assertions of …

World Bank's Roadmap And The Inspection Panel's Human Rights Responsibilities, Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, C.P. Chandrasekhar

Perspectives

The World Bank has been under pressure to devise a process for “evolving” its mission, operations, and resources, acknowledging that decades of engagement with low- and middle-income countries has resulted, paradoxically and contrary to its official mission, in a “crisis of development.” The Bank bluntly notes in the opening to its paper “Evolving the World Bank Group’s Mission, Operations, and Resources: A Roadmap,” issued in December 2022, “after decades of progress, growth and poverty reduction have stalled.” Indeed, this “crisis of development” threatens to unleash political instability around the world.

Are The Mdbs Accountable? Reflecting On The Independent Accountability Mechanisms Of The Multilateral Development Banks, Susan Park

Perspectives

The International Accountability Mechanisms of the Multilateral Development Banks provide important insights into how to hold intergovernmental organizations to account for their environmental and social impacts. This perspective identifies how the IAMs hold the Banks to account according to the six standard questions of accountability: who is accountable, to whom, for what are they accountable, and what are the standards, processes, and sanctions employed to demonstrate that the MDBs are accountable. This highlights what the IAMs can and cannot hold the MDBs to account for, and how this might shape further international grievance mechanisms for people seeking to defend their …

Imf Human Rights Accountability: A Pragmatic Way To Break The Deadlock, Aldo Caliari

Perspectives

In the three decades since the 1993 establishment of the World Bank Inspection Panel, almost all development finance institutions (DFIs) have established analogous panels, ombudsperson offices or other independent accountability mechanisms (IAMs) to allow people who believe they have been harmed by the DFI’s activities to directly trigger processes of fact-finding, dispute resolution, and, if applicable, redress. The primary exception has been the International Monetary Fund.

Exiting The Disaster, Evading The Responsibility? Wadi Al-Qamar -- The Moon Valley, Suzan Nada

Perspectives

This essay explores a case that delivered no results for the complainants, where harm was not prevented, and where stakeholders who filed the complaint were not compensated. Investigated by the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Wadi al-Qamar case illustrates some of the limitations of accountability mechanisms in limiting the harms caused directly or indirectly by projects in which the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) invest.

Regulatory Approaches To Consumer Protection In The Financial Sector And Beyond: Towards A Smart Disclosure Regime?, Nydia Remolina, Yvonne Ai-Chi Loh, David Hardoon

International Journal on Consumer Law and Practice

Consumer and data protection policies often focus on consent and information disclosure. The purpose of these regulatory strategies is the protection of consumers by reducing some contracting failures, such as asymmetries of information and a lower bargaining power, especially in transactions involving complex issues such as financial products and sensitive personal data. In the past, regulators have responded to privacy and consumer protection by adopting what this article refers to as an “imperfectly informed regime”, in which consumers do not receive full information about the risks associated with their decisions, even if they are still protected through a variety of …