International Law Commons^™

Rethinking Affirmative Consent In Canadian Sexual Assault Law: Neoliberal Sexual Subjects And Risky Women, Lise Gotell

Akron Law Review

While the struggle for affirmative consent is typically framed as a feminist law reform project, I contend that we need to understand the legal elaboration of a positive and explicit consent standard in relation to wider shifts in governance. The second section of this article explores how the legal elaboration of affirmative consent in Canadian law might be seen as a specific expression of neoliberal governmentality, forging new normative sexual subjects who interact within a transactional sexual economy. In section three, I demonstrate how discourses of responsibilization and risk management inform recent Canadian sexual assault decisions, constituting the ideal victim …

Professional Responsibility In An Uncertain Profession: Legal Ethics In China, Judith A. Mcmorrow

Akron Law Review

This essay starts with two simple questions: Why do law schools in China have so little discussion of legal ethics? Why do students not press or seek more discussion of this topic? The essay then looks at the creation of norms of legal ethics from a topdown perspective and the inadequacy of that approach. Both a bottomup and top-down examination identify the tremendous challenges facing the Chinese emerging legal culture in building a coherent model of lawyering that can serve as the foundation for a system of legal ethics. This essay is intended as a contribution to the growing English …

What We Don't Know Can Hurt Us: The Need For Empirical Research In Regulating Lawyers And Legal Services In The Global Economy, Carole Silver

Akron Law Review

My goal here, however, is not directly to challenge the framework of lawyer regulation. Instead, I write to suggest an adjustment to the existing regulatory regime, setting aside, at least for the moment, any challenge to the merits of the system itself. My proposal is quite modest: In order to inform the choices implicit in rulemaking, regulation ought to be based upon sound empirical evidence. This is particularly important because of the complexities brought about by globalization.

From Gats To Apec: The Impact Of Trade Agreements On Legal Services, Laurel S. Terry, Laurel S. Terry

Akron Law Review

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the treatment of legal services in the United States‘ international trade agreements. Although many individuals are now familiar with the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), far fewer realize that legal services are included in at least fifteen international trade agreements to which the United States is a party. This article begins by identifying those trade agreements and other developments including the 2009 Legal Services Initiative of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The article continues by explaining the structure of the GATS and comparing its provisions to the provisions found in …

The New Era - Quo Vadis?, Jack P. Sahl

Akron Law Review

Although the Miller-Becker Institute for Professional Responsibility (the MBI) planned its Inaugural Symposium before the creation of the 20/20 Commission, the Symposium brought together twenty-six national and international experts to examine the consequences of globalization, rapid technological change, and more.

Transitional Justice And Local Ownership: A Framework For The Protection Of Human Rights, Andrew B. Friedman

Akron Law Review

The focus of this paper will be only on prosecutions and other mechanisms with formality and ability to punish akin to a prosecution. Of the many such pseudo-prosecutions, particular focus will be paid to Truth and Reconciliation Commissions for their formality, their ability to grant amnesty, and the darling space they occupy in the collective public and scholarly imagination. Second, the importance of local ownership will be discussed. As previously mentioned, a great deal of work has been done on this particular topic. The discussion in this article will be limited to the problems associated with local ownership in transitional …

Privatizing Human Rights? Creating Intellectual Property Rights From Human Rights Principles, David S. Welkowitz

Akron Law Review

This article focuses on one human rights treaty, the Convention, and the possible uses of its provisions to secure and expand intellectual property rights (“IP rights”). Although the Convention does not contain any provision specifically referencing IP rights, it does contain several provisions that could be used to expand IP rights. Furthermore, the existence of a substantial body of interpretive case law from the ECHR affords us a more detailed perspective on the manner in which the Convention could be used to further IP rights. Finally, the group of countries adhering to the Convention, though all part of Europe, represent …

Prime Time For Japan To Take Another Step Forward In Lay Participation: Exploring Expansion To Civil Trials, Matthew J. Wilson

Akron Law Review

With Japan marking its three-year anniversary of the lay judge system, now is an ideal time to assess the progress of the new system, examine its effect on Japanese society, and explore future possibilities. More significantly, this paper asserts that the convergence of various forces makes this an ideal time to expand lay participation into the civil realm so as to enhance the justice process and fully achieve the objectives of Japan’s major legal reforms. Accordingly, this paper is separated into three sections. First, Part I details the underpinnings of Japan’s new lay judge system and examines its triumphs and …

Shari'ah Law As National Security Threat?, Cyra Akila Choudhury

Akron Law Review

The Article proceeds in three parts: in Part II, the Article describes three anti-shari’ah measures. It describes Oklahoma’s Save Our State amendment to show how these laws target Islam. It also reviews the recent decision by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals affirming the grant of a preliminary injunction against the certification of Oklahoma’s constitutional amendment. It then describes Arizona’s law that targets shari’ah as well as other legal traditions. It also examines the original version of the Tennessee bill to illustrate the motivations behind the revised, watered down version that was eventually passed by the legislature. Part II concludes …

Russia’S Annexation Of Crimea: The Mills Of International Law Grind Slowly But They Do Grind, Robin Geiss

International Law Studies

In her speech at the Munich Security Conference in February 2015, Chancellor Angela Merkel unwaveringly said: “Europe’s borders are and will remain unalterable.” At the same time, however, most observers agree that Crimea will remain de facto under Russian control. Against this backdrop the article assesses the contemporary and possible future legal status of Crimea. Particular attention is given to the inseparability of the link between Russia’s unlawful use of force and the purported territorial status alteration of Crimea, the concept of remedial secession and Crimea’s current status as an occupied territory.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome: A Global Health Challenge, Lawrence O. Gostin, Daniel Lucey

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Beginning in May 2015, Middle-East respiratory syndrome (MERS) experienced its first publicly reported “super-spreading” event in South Korea. By mid-June, more than 120 cases and 11 deaths in South Korea had been linked to a businessman returning from travel to Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Globally more than 1200 had been infected of whom more than 450 died—a high fatality rate of 37%.

What are the most effective legal, social, and public health responses to MERS and other emerging diseases? First, the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations (IHR) did not effectively guide the …

Second-Guessing Congress On Military Commissions, Peter Margulies

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Trading With Foreigners: An Interdisciplinary Analysis Of China's Core Interests In Trade And Foreign Policy, Phoenix X.F. Cai

Akron Law Review

This article takes an interdisciplinary approach by drawing on political science, international relations, and legal global governance literatures to explain how China’s foreign policy impacts and guides its trade policy, which is manifested in the three core interests. The article makes the case that the core interest analysis holds promising explicative, predictive, persuasive, and coalition-building value in the arenas of global trade policy and dispute settlement. This article proceeds in five main parts. Part II traces the contours of China’s three core interests in action, both in the domestic and international spheres. While not purporting to be exhaustive, it takes …

Slides: The Colorado River: Innovation In The Face Of Scarcity, Anne J. Castle

Innovations in Managing Western Water: New Approaches for Balancing Environmental, Social and Economic Outcomes (Martz Summer Conference, June 11-12)

Presenter: Anne J. Castle, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

40 slides

Slides: The Columbia River Treaty, Barbara Cosens

Innovations in Managing Western Water: New Approaches for Balancing Environmental, Social and Economic Outcomes (Martz Summer Conference, June 11-12)

Presenter: Barbara Cosens, Professor, University of Idaho College of Law and Waters of the West Graduate Program

22 slides

Agenda: Innovations In Managing Western Water: New Approaches For Balancing Environmental, Social, And Economic Outcomes, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment

Innovations in Managing Western Water: New Approaches for Balancing Environmental, Social and Economic Outcomes (Martz Summer Conference, June 11-12)

Many aspects of western water allocation and management are the product of independent and uncoordinated actions, several occurring a century or more ago. However, in this modern era of water scarcity, it is increasingly acknowledged that more coordinated and deliberate decision-making is necessary for effectively balancing environmental, social, and economic objectives. In recent years, a variety of forums, processes, and tools have emerged to better manage the connections between regions, sectors, and publics linked by shared water systems. In this event, we explore the cutting edge efforts, the latest points of contention, and the opportunities for further progress.

Applying The European Convention On Human Rights To The Use Of Physical Force: Al-Saadoon, David S. Goddard

International Law Studies

In Al-Saadoon and Others v. Secretary of State for Defence, the High Court of Justice of England and Wales has found that the United Kingdom’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) can be activated extraterritorially simply through the use by State agents of physical force against an individual. This article explains the judgment and places it in the context of the development of the law both in the United Kingdom and at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). While it remains subject to appeal domestically and its approach may not be followed by the ECtHR, …

The Combatant Status Of The “Little Green Men” And Other Participants In The Ukraine Conflict, Shane R. Reeves, David Wallace

International Law Studies

As an occupation and a civil war are simultaneously taking place in Ukraine a particularly vexing international law question is presented: what is the legal status of those involved in the hostilities? This article is designed to answer that question and to identify the associated rights, duties and responsibilities of the participants in the conflict.

Introduction: Positioning Universal Health Coverage In The Post-2015 Development Agenda, Andrea L. Frey

Washington International Law Journal

Protecting and promoting health is central to sustained economic and social development. Three of the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals (“MDGs”) focused on health, including reducing incidences of HIV and malaria, improving maternal health, and reducing child mortality. Although specifying disease areas and health outcomes ensured that the targets had a clear focus, it also created many problems. In particular, the approach neglected the creation of strong, effective health systems. The UN’s adoption of the MDGs in 2000 created greater recognition that sustaining progress in health depends on such systems in the international community. The MDGs conclude at the …

Sovereign Debt Governance, Legitimacy, And The Sustainable Development Goals: Examining The Principles On Responsible Sovereign Lending And Borrowing, Marie Sudreau, Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky

Washington International Law Journal

In the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”) negotiation, this article questions to what extent legitimacy matters in sovereign debt governance and, if so, under what conditions. How can one recognize legitimate governance instruments when informality of governance process and practice is regarded as an important goal? This article sees the implementation of SDGs in the global financial arena as facilitated by legitimate normative instruments that reflect general public interest and demonstrate respect for human rights. The implementation of informal norms should give rise to substantive outcomes that are both sustainable and legitimate, thereby complementing the procedural dimension of …

Innovative Financing And Sustainable Development: Lessons From Global Health, David Gartner

Washington International Law Journal

The growth of innovative financing for development over the last decade has demonstrated the enormous potential of new mechanisms for generating resources beyond traditional official development assistance. In the global health sector, diverse innovative finance institutions provide a window into the relative merits of approaches that rely on taxation, bonds, and advanced contract arrangements. The experience of IFFIm, UNITAID, and the AMC offer broader insights into the importance of sustainability and participation in ensuring the success of innovative finance mechanisms, as well as the potential for innovative financing to contribute to realizing the Sustainable Development Goals. The most successful of …

The International Review | 2015 Spring/Summer, Michael Rhee

The International Review Newsletter

Is there a right to healthy and nutritious food?

Circumcision: A rite of passage or bodily harm?

How do nations and international law address fracking?

Insulting religions: Allowed or prohibited under international law?

Quotas for women on corporate boards?

Natural Resource Contracts As A Tool For Managing The Mining Sector, David Kienzler, Perrine Toledano, Sophie Thomashausen, Sam Szoke-Burke

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment Staff Publications

In this report commissioned by the Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), CCSI examined the different types of legal regimes governing mining projects in 18 countries to gain a better understanding of mining deals granted and negotiated under different minerals regimes. CCSI compared the provisions of 30 mining contracts from 13 countries, analyzed a selection of mining-related legislative texts from 18 countries, and surveyed the experiences of mining contract negotiations through dozens of interviews with experts, government officials, company representatives, and members of civil society organizations.

The report …

Wrong Direction On Climate, Trade And Development, Lisa E. Sachs, Lise Johnson

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment Staff Publications

In pushing for Trade Promotion Authority, the Obama administration argues that the agreements it is negotiating (including TPP and TTIP) are true 21st century agreements that correct the failings of past agreements and will promote trade and investment that can both re-launch America as the key economic player and promote broad-based sustainable development at home and abroad.

The Killer Robots Are Here: Legal And Policy Implications, Rebecca Crootof

Cardozo Law Review

In little over a year, the possibility of a complete ban on autonomous weapon systems - known colloquially as "killer robots" - has evolved from a proposal in an NGO report to the subject of an international meeting with representatives from over eighty states. However, no one has yet put forward a coherent definition of autonomy in weapon systems from a law of armed conflict perspective, which often results in the conflation of legal, ethical, policy, and political arguments. This Article therefore proposes that an "autonomous weapon system" be defined as "a weapon system that, based on conclusions derived from …

The New Black On The Development Catwalk: Incorporating Rule Of Law Into The Sustainable Development Goals, Per Bergling, Sophie Jin

Washington International Law Journal

As the post-2015 Development Agenda is set to replace the Millennium Development Goals (“MDGs”), one of the most controversial new elements of the new agenda is the rule of law. While all of the official fora for discussing and producing recommendations have concluded that the rule of law (or some variation) should be included, there are still significant challenges to its incorporation in the final Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”). The interrelated points of contention have included whether rule of law applies at the national government level, whether it encompasses domestic governance, and how the concept should be defined and measured. …

Take Me To Your Liter: Politics, Power, And Public-Private Partnerships With The Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Industry In The Post-2015 Development Agenda, Craig W. Moscetti, Allyn L. Taylor

Washington International Law Journal

Today, non-communicable diseases (“NCDs”) are widely recognized as a global public health crisis and a foreign policy priority. The international community was slow to identify and respond to the crisis of NCDs in the later part of the twentieth century. However, in 2011 the United Nations High Level Meeting on NCDs recognized NCDs as one of the greatest threats to health and development in the twenty-first century, and a major topic for the post-2015 development agenda. Notably, many experts, national governments, and global leaders have rallied for an inclusive, “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach, situating public-private partnerships (“PPPs”) with some of …

Promoting Sustainable Development Through Environmental Law: Prospects For Saudi Arabia, Faisal K. Alturki

Dissertations & Theses

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enjoys a rich cultural and natural heritage and has an advanced state of socio- economic development. It also suffers from a wide range of growing environmental problems such as securing its potable water supply, coping with solid and liquid waste, ensuring clean air or protecting the marine environment. It is the objective of sustainable development to ensure that further development in the Kingdom does not damage the public health of the people or the natural environment. The policies underlying sustainable development have developed internationally over the past four decades and are well explained in Agenda …

Interview Of Peter J. Williams Conducted By Rosine Plank-Brumback On May 31, 2015, Institute Of International Economic Law, Georgetown University Law Center

The Oral History Project of the World Trading System

Interview of Peter John Williams, Former Director for Non-Tariff Measures & Former Secretary of Ministerial Conferences, GATT Secretariat; Former EU Delegate for WTO Accessions, conducted by Rosine Plank-Brumback on May 31, 2015.

Conflict Classification In Ukraine: The Return Of The “Proxy War”?, Robert Heinsch

International Law Studies

The article examines the exact conditions for classifying an armed conflict under international humanitarian law against the backdrop of the crisis in Ukraine, taking into account the difficult factual situation on the ground and the involvement of the different parties to the conflict. Apart from dealing with the requirements of an international or a non-international armed conflict, it looks again into the specific circumstances for the “internationalization” of an internal armed conflict. In doing so, the author revisits the various approaches found in the jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice in its 1986 Nicaragua and 2007 Genocide judgments, as …