International Law Commons^™

Towards A Unique Theory Of International Criminal Sentencing, Jens David Ohlin

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

International criminal law currently lacks a robust procedure for sentencing convicted defendants. Legal scholars have already critiqued the sentencing procedures at the ad hoc tribunals, and the Rome Statute does little more than refer to the gravity of the offense and the individual circumstances of the criminal. No procedures are in place to guide judges in exercising their discretion in a matter that is arguably the most central aspect of international criminal law - punishment. This paper argues that the deficiency of sentencing procedures stems from a more fundamental theoretical deficiency - the lack of a unique theory of punishment …

International Law In Domestic Courts: A Conflict Of Laws Approach, Karen Knop, Ralf Michaels, Annelise Riles

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

The relationship between international law and domestic law is rarely understood as a conflict of laws. Understanding it in this way opens up a parallel with the field of conflict of laws: the field for which the relationship between legal systems, especially the role of another system's jurisdiction, laws, and judgments vis-à-vis the domestic legal system, are exactly the bread-and-butter issues. We argue for such an approach to international law in domestic courts: an approach that we elaborate as "theory through technique."

In our view, conflicts should be seen broadly as the discipline that developed to deal with conflicts between …

Redesigning The Sec: Does The Treasury Have A Better Idea?, John C. Coffee Jr., Hillary A. Sale

Faculty Scholarship

Symposiums supply a snapshot in time. By observing the common assumptions and shared frameworks of a collection of scholars writing contemporaneously, one gains both insight into the intellectual world of a past era and the ability to measure its distance from our own. Twenty-five years ago the Virginia Law Review organized a noted symposium (the "1984 Symposium") to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the SEC. A number of prominent scholars participated, and its articles have been much cited.

International Security And International Law In The Northwest Passage, James Kraska

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Concern over the loss of sea ice has renewed discussions over the legal status of the Arctic and subarctic transcontinental maritime route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, referred to as the "Northwest Passage." Over the past thirty years, Canada has maintained that the waters of the Passage are some combination of internal waters or territorial seas. Applying the rules of international law, as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Law of the Sea Convention, suggests that the Passage is a strait used for international navigation. Expressing concerns over maritime safety and security, recognition of northern sovereignty, and protection of …

Sanctions, Countermeasures, And The Iranian Nuclear Issue, N. J. Calamita

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The international community's response to Iran's nuclear development program highlights the sometimes complex legal relationship between the UN system of collective security and the rights of states to take unilateral countermeasures under the law of state responsibility. It also raises a number of important questions about (a) the discretion afforded to states in the interpretation and implementation of Security Council resolutions, (b) the availability of countermeasures for the violation of multilateral obligations, and (c) the exclusivity of the Chapter VII framework for collective security.

This Article argues that, while the Security Council's Iran sanctions resolutions do not grant discretionary authority …

Survey: A Global Perspective On The Most Important Cases Affecting The Sports Industry, Hayden Opie

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal (1994 - )

No abstract provided.

Are You Not Entertained - Is This Not Why You Are Here - U.S. Taxation Of Foreign Athletes And Entertainers, Stephen Taylor

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal (1994 - )

No abstract provided.

Old W(H)Ine, Old Bottles: A Reply To Professor Paulsen, Margaret E. Mcguiness

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

International law is “everywhere” in the United States: informing state CO2 emissions standards; providing inspiration for local civil rights codes; and overseeing the more than three trillion dollars in annual trade in goods, to name just a few examples. A reader of Professor Michael Stokes Paulsen’s essay, The Constitutional Power To Interpret International Law, might be forgiven for missing these important trends, because rather than focus on the ubiquity of international law and the myriad ways in which it has permeated U.S. legal, social, economic, and political life, Paulsen returns us to old arguments over whether international law …

A Lingering Grudge In The Face Of A Power Transition; The French Canadian Movement In Perspective, Sergio Villarreal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

I hypothesize that an individual that has experienced a power transition, as measured by income, will be more likely to challenge the status quo than one that has not. The hypothesis is tested by relying on a mathematical probability model and is then corroborated through a qualitative analysis.

This analysis was accomplished by using a dataset that was collected in Québec during the time of the referendum; the final vote of each individual was contrasted with their relative income and dissatisfaction with the federation.

While income alone will not bring about a secessionist vote, the increase in the likelihood of …

The President, Congress And The Security Council: Counterterrorism And The Use Of Force Through The Internationalist Lens, Margaret E. Mcguiness

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

This symposium is focused on the powers of the U.S. presidency, a topic that typically implies questions of constitutional law. More narrowly, the topic of presidential powers in the area of counterterrorism typically raises questions of how the Constitution addresses the shared war powers of the President and Congress. U.S. legal scholars have generally not framed the question of presidential power to use force against transnational terrorist groups as one of international law or international institutions. Rather, the separation of powers question has focused on historical and functional views of the President's war powers and whether and to what …

The Language Of Law And The Practice Of Politics: Great Powers And The Rhetoric Of Self-Determination In The Cases Of Kosovo And South Ossetia, Christopher J. Borgen

Faculty Publications

If international law is all but irrelevant to international relations why do states spend so much time and effort justifying their actions under international law? The immediate reaction by many is to dismiss this as "cheap talk," a rhetorical fig leaf or simple bluster of little consequence. This Article aims to debunk the notion that the rhetoric surrounding international law is of little consequence. Rather than mere cheap talk, the rhetoric of international law is at times used by great powers (and other states) in an attempt to gain tactical, if not strategic, advantages.

This Article seeks to elucidate what …

Hearts And Minds And Laws: Legal Compliance And Diplomatic Persuasion, Christopher J. Borgen

Faculty Publications

This Essay considers the role of international legal argument in the war on terror and, in particular, in the attempts to justify the use of military force. Part I looks at challenges posed by the evolution of military conflict and how this affects diplomacy. In particular, I argue that a reputation for honoring one's treaty commitments and for legality, more generally, is an important part of fostering cooperation and undercutting the support of our adversaries. Part II focuses on how the Bush Administration moved between hostility to international law and attempts to rewrite the rules of international law concerning the …

Marking The Path Of The Law, Stephen Ellmann

Articles & Chapters

This article, published in South Africa's Constitutional Court Review, focuses on the Constitutional Court of South Africa in order to discuss the nature of constitutional judging more generally. Looking to Brown v. Board of Education as an example, it argues that technical skill – though obviously important – is not the highest virtue of the constitutional judge, and that a central attribute of constitutional judging is commitment to the values of the constitution. But commitment to values is more than a matter of rational assent. As everyday experience and neurological evidence teach us, commitment naturally and unavoidably involves the judge’s …

It’S Doom Alone That Counts: Can International Human Rights Law Be An Effective Source Of Rights In Correctional Conditions Litigation?, Michael L. Perlin, Henry A. Dlugacz

Articles & Chapters

Over the past three decades, the US judiciary has grown increasingly less receptive to claims by convicted felons about the conditions of their confinement while in prison. Although courts have not articulated a return to the 'hands off' policy of the 1950s, it is clear that it has become significantly more difficult for prisoners to prevail in constitutional correctional litigation. The passage and aggressive implementation ofthe Prison Litigation Reform Act has been a powerful disincentive to such litigation in many areas ofprisoners' rights law.

From the perspective of the prisoner, the legal landscape is more hopeful in matters that relate …

Self-Representation In The International Arena: Removing A False Right Of Spectacle, Eugene Cerruti

Articles & Chapters

Recent historical scholarship has demonstrated that the practice of self-representation at common law was developed and promoted not to secure a valued right to the accused but rather to compromise the defendant’s ability to present an effective defense - by denying him an effective right to be represented by counsel. The Supreme Court in Faretta v. California stood this history on its head in order to read into the Sixth Amendment an implied right to self-representation equal to the now preeminent right to counsel. The Faretta doctrine was carelessly adopted yet has been resolutely defended by the Supreme Court, to …

Racing For The Arctic? Better Bring A Flag, Jordan Hellman

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This Note will explore the current dispute over Arctic seabed resources surrounding the North Pole, evaluate methods for resolving this conflict, and finally suggest particular Alternative Dispute Resolution ("ADR") methods which would be best suited to resolve the conflict peacefully and equitably. Part II will introduce the appropriate statutory law and discuss its relative effects on the disputing countries. Further, as with most conflicts, it is important to understand how the history of the area impacts the involved countries. This will be assessed in Part III. In Part IV, this Note will show how this particular conflict is better suited …

Private Military Companies & International Law: Building New Ladders Of Legal Accountability & Responsibility, Jackson Nyamuya Maogoto, Benedict Sheehy

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

The Private Military Company ("PMC") is a relatively new and growing phenomenon. An urgent and ongoing problem facing courts and policy makers is the accountability of PMCs. This article proposes new approaches to developing accountability by examining the potential of two well-established doctrines: command responsibility and state responsibility.

Opening Remarks, Jack Himmelstein

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

No abstract provided.

Coping With Combat Claims: An Analysis Of The Foreign Claims Act's Combat Exclusion, Jordan Walerstein

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

The purpose of this Note is to show that, although the FCA has positively impacted U.S. military operations, the so-called "combat exclusion" severely hampers its effectiveness. Therefore, Congress should eliminate the distinction between combat and noncombat claims and adopt a unified, permanent claims system to adjudicate all claims made by civilians against U.S. military forces operating overseas. Part II of this Note explores the origins of the "combat exclusion" in international law, and Part III traces the history of civilian compensation through World War I and World War II. Part IV surveys U.S. military use of the FCA and ad …

Earl Warren Professorship: Michal R. Belknap, Michal R. Belknap, Laurence A. Benner, Introduction

California Western International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Roger J. Traynor Professorship: John E. Noyes, John E. Noyes, William J. Aceves

California Western International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Corporate Social Responsibility: A Multifaceted Tool To Avoid Alien Tort Claims Act Litigation While Simultaneously Building A Better Business Reputation, Lauren A. Dellinger

California Western International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Inter-American System, Claudia Martin

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Inter-American System, Claudia Martin

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Judicial And Arbitral Proceedings And The Outer Limits Of The Continental Shelf, John E. Noyes

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article explores when international third-party dispute settlement forums may hear cases concerning the outer limits of a continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from baselines. The 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea articulated determinate rules for establishing those limits and created an institution--the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf--to make recommendations concerning them. Limits set by coastal states "on the basis of" such recommendations "shall be final and binding." Yet the Law of the Sea Convention's third-party dispute settlement system may also apply to outer limits questions concerning the Arctic Ocean and other oceans.

International …

Does God Favor The Unequal Allocation Of Resources? A Study Of The Effects Of Religion On Ethnic Conflicts, Irene Rebeca Mendoza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Ethnic conflict and religious conflict are two types of conflict that are too often studied as one type of conflict. Additionally, conflicts that involve the fight over resources are today a type of conflict which appears to be on the rise. Additionally, contrary to what some scholars have argued for centuries, religious influence over people's behavior also has continued to rise. Today there is a worrisome landscape in the global landscape, ethnic conflicts are currently ongoing throughout the globe in areas such as Congo, India-Pakistan, Israel-Palestine, Sudan, Sri Lanka, and most notably Iraq. Ethnic conflicts in the past appear to …

Reconstructing The Responsibility To Protect In The Wake Of Cyclones And Separatism, Jarrod Wong

McGeorge School of Law Scholarly Articles

This Article reconceptualizes the doctrine of the responsibility to protect (R2P). R2P provides that when a government fails to protect its citizens from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing or crimes against humanity (“mass atrocities”), that responsibility shifts to the international community acting through the United Nations.

The U.N.'s apparent failure to include natural disasters in the catalogue of harms potentially justifying R2P intervention generated considerable controversy following Myanmar's refusal of foreign aid following the devastation wrought by Cyclone Nargis. Those seeking to limit the scope of R2P considered it inapplicable in the case of Myanmar, reading the U.N.'s focus on …

The International Law Commission Adopts Draft Articles On Transboundary Aquifers, Stephen C. Mccaffrey

McGeorge School of Law Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

International Human Rights Law And Security Detention, Douglass Cassel

Journal Articles

This article analyzes the grounds, procedures, and conditions required by International Human Rights Law for preventive detention of suspected terrorists as threats to security. Such detention is generally permitted, provided it is based on grounds and procedures previously established by law; is not arbitrary, discriminatory, or disproportionate; is publicly registered and subject to fair and effective judicial review; and the detainee is not mistreated and is compensated for any unlawful detention. In Europe, however, preventive detention for security purposes is generally not permitted. If allowed at all, it is permitted only when a State in time of national emergency formally …

Religious Liberties: The International Religious Freedom Act, Richard W. Garnett, Thomas F. Farr, T. Jeremy Gunn, William L. Saunders

Journal Articles

MR. SAUNDERS: Welcome to this panel, put on by the Religious Liberties Practice Group. Any of you who would like to join that Practice Group, you are cordially invited to do so. Welcome to the Federalist Society Annual Convention. My name is Bill Saunders. I am a Senior Fellow at the Family Research Council, and I am the Chairman of the Religious Liberties Practice Group at the Federalist Society.

Our aim today is: to talk about religious freedom, to talk about whether it should be an aspect of U.S. foreign policy, how best to make it so if you believe …