Military, War, and Peace Commons^™

Professor Aloysius A. Leopold: An Extraordinary Man., Gerry W. Beyer

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

The Ancient Magna Carta And The Modern Rule Of Law: 1215 To 2015., Vincent R. Johnson

St. Mary's Law Journal

This article argues the text of the Magna Carta, now 800 years old, and reflects many of the values that are at the center of the modern concept of the Rule of Law. A careful review of its provisions reveals the Magna Carta demonstrates a strong commitment to the resolution of disputes based on rules and procedures that are consistent, accessible, transparent, and fair; and to the development of a legal system characterized by official accountability and respect for human dignity.

Lincoln V. The Proslavery Constitution: How A Railroad Lawyer's Constitutional Theory Made Him The Great Emancipator., Paul Finkelman

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

A Constitutional Amendment Allowing Broader Campaign-Finance Reform Would Not Criminalize Political Satire., Christopher W. Bell

St. Mary's Law Journal

Campaign finance remains a perennial issue, because contributions and expenditures define the political campaigns which shape our democracy. While a majority of the American public supports limiting campaign spending, campaign finance reform remains near the bottom of most voters’ priorities. Reformers have called the lack of the public’s interest “[o]ne of the persistent mysteries of campaign finance reform.” Citizens United v. F.E.C. focused national attention on the role of money in politics. Citizens United evoked such strong reactions, because it represents the two competing versions of the concept of freedom of speech: “free speech as serving liberty” and “free speech …

Unfinished Business Of Repealing “Don’T Ask, Don’T Tell”: The Military’S Unconstitutional Ban On Transgender Individuals, Kayla Quam

Utah Law Review

Discrimination based on gender identity is a form of sex discrimination. In Price Waterhouse, the Supreme Court clarified that “sex” encompasses more than biological genitalia. That ruling eviscerated the holding of Holloway, Sommers, and Ulane—the three cases the Tenth Circuit relied on in declaring that sex discrimination did not encompass gender nonconformity. At least since Price Waterhouse, discrimination against someone because of that individual’s failure to conform to sex stereotypes must be considered a form of sex discrimination.156 As transgenderism is defined as nonconformity “to that typically associated with the sex . . . assigned at birth,” discrimination based on …

Military Working Dogs: Classification And Treatment In The U.S. Armed Forces, Sarah D. Cruse

Animal Law Review

This Article explores and evaluates the use of canines by the United States (U.S.) Armed Forces as military working dogs, and examines the reasons why the current administrative classification of these dogs is inappropriate. The author examines the historical use of, and increasing reliance on, mili­tary working dogs by the U.S. Armed Forces from World War II to present day. This historical exploration traces the development of the federal stat­utes and military regulations that govern the Military Working Dog Pro­gram. Federal law currently categorizes military working dogs as 'equipment,' which grossly underestimates their role within the U.S. mili­tary and deprives …

United Nations Peace Operations: Creating Space For Peace, Chris Jenks

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Despite over 120 countries contributing over 118,00 personnel in support of sixteen different United Nations peace operations around the world, and at a cost exceeding $US 7.83 billion, not much is known about these operations. This chapter seeks to alter, however slightly, that information deficit. This chapter first reviews the UN Charter basis for peace operations and explores the different between Chapter VI Peacekeeping and Chapter VII Peace Enforcement. The chapter then traces the historical development of peace operations from their cold war origins to the latest organizational structure within the U.N.’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The chapter then explores …

War, Responsibility, And Killer Robots, Rebecca Crootof

Law Faculty Publications

In War and Responsibility, John Hart Ely argues that Congress has willingly and cravenly surrendered its rightful role as the branch responsible for determining when and the extent to which the United States engages in armed conflicts. Since the publication of this seminal work on the war power, presidents have continued to commit troops to hostilities absent or outside of explicit congressional authorizations-and the legislature and the judiciary rarely challenge such actions.

Meanwhile, the United States is investing heavily in unmanned military weapon systems, and the U.S. Department of Defense has described increasing weapons' autonomous capabilities as a "high priority." …

The Role Of Naval Power In The Development Of Customary International Law, John J. Chung

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Michael Morton Act: Minimizing Prosecutorial Misconduct., Cynthia E. Hujar Orr, Robert G. Rodery

St. Mary's Law Journal

Twenty-five years ago, Texas prosecutors significantly limited the pre-trial discovery it disclosed to criminal defendants. As a result of this policy, innocent individuals accused of murder, like Michael Morton, were denied their right to due process. Michael Morton was incarcerated for twenty-five years following a wrongful murder conviction. He was denied access to crucial evidence, which included a bandana with the victim’s blood and the killer’s hair, and eyewitness accounts describing the killer at or near the time of the murder. The prosecutor purposely withheld this evidence from Michael Morton; but thanks to the efforts of the Innocence Project, he …

Potential Tort Liability For Personal Use Of Drone Aircraft., Benjamin D. Mathews

St. Mary's Law Journal

In the United States, the use of personal drones has become more prevalent. Businesses now use drones to deliver products to consumers. Consumers now use drones to video and photograph special events. As a result, new laws are needed concerning personal usage of drones. The number of drone sales is predicted to double by 2024. This is reflected by companies such as Parrot, a vendor of private drones, who in the first quarter of 2014 sold 670,000 drones. Citizens whose personal liberties have been infringed upon by another individual’s use of personal drones, often resort to common law torts because …

Hamrick V. Ward: Clarifying Implied Easement Law., Courtney R. Potter

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Compensation Forfeiture: Stacking Remedies Against Disloyal Agents And Employees., George P. Roach

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Bombs And Babies: The Unfortunate Results Of Conversion Of A Military Defense Site To A Residential Neighborhood, Kara Consalo

Journal Publications

During World War II, the U.S. Army used over 12,000 acres in
what is now the eastern edge of the City of Orlando as a gunnery, bomb
training, and military demonstration range. Due to its close proximity to
the Orlando Army Air Base (now Orlando Executive Airport) and the
Pinecastle Army Airfield (now Orlando International Airport), this
property was perfectly located for airborne target practice. The area,
known as the Pinecastle Jeep Range was intentionally bombarded with
explosive and chemical bombs, rockets, bullets, scrap metal, and even
an old Jeep! After the war, the Army terminated its lease and the …

The Covert Use Of Drones: How Secrecy Undermines Oversight And Accountability, Milena Sterio

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

Under the Obama Administration, the number of drone strikes has sharply increased, prompting criticism and concern. As one commentator has noted, “[u]nder Obama, drone strikes have become too frequent, too unilateral, and too much associated with the heavy-handed use of American power.” Many scholars have focused on the legal issues arising from the use of drones, analyzing their legality under applicable law of self-defense, as well as under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

This Article highlights another problematic aspect of the current American use of drones, which is secrecy. As will be argued below, because a large …

Cyber War Crimes: Islamic State Atrocity Videos And The Laws Of War, David P. Fidler

Articles by Maurer Faculty

The Islamic State has combined its extreme violence with digital and cyber technologies to produce and distribute globally videos recording atrocities it commits. This article argues that those in the Islamic State who make and distribute these atrocity videos are committing war crimes under international law. After introducing the unprecedented phenomenon the atrocity videos represent (I.), the article first examines the relationship between international law and propaganda in war and peace (II.) The article then argues the atrocity videos violate prohibitions in international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes (III.). The article concludes by presenting criticisms of this argument and …

Clearing The Path: The Perils Of Positing Civil Society In Conflict And Transition, Timothy W. Waters

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Can there be a general theoretical perspective on civil society's involvement in transitional justice? This article considers this question in its application to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Within the study of transitional justice and conflict resolution, civil society - a notoriously plastic concept - can be understood narrowly as rights-oriented groups working “for” peace, but the term is equally available to describe a broader array of communities that can either promote or prevent peace and justice.

It is, in fact, quite difficult to sustain a theoretical distinction between them, because transitional justice does not escape the dictates of politics - of …

One Minute To Midnight: Amending The War Powers Resolution To Confront The Coming Cyber Wars, Benjamin L. Monarch

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Defining And Punishing Offenses Under Treaties, Sarah H. Cleveland, William S. Dodge

Faculty Scholarship

One of the principal aims of the U.S. Constitution was to give the federal government authority to comply with its international legal commitments. The scope of Congress's constitutional authority to implement treaties has recently received particular attention. In Bond v. United States, the Court avoided the constitutional questions by construing a statute to respect federalism, but these questions are unlikely to go away. This Article contributes to the ongoing debate by identifying the Offenses Clause as an additional source of Congress's constitutional authority to implement certain treaty commitments. Past scholarship has assumed that the Article I power to "define …

Liberty, Security, And Judicial Review In The War On Terror: An Analysis Of Supreme Court Approaches To Deference In A Post-9/11 Context, Jacob Oppler

Senior Independent Study Theses

In times of war, the government acts to suppress threats to national security, often curtailing or restricting American civil liberties. Over the course of American history, the Supreme Court has reviewed this legal conflict between civil liberties and national security policies during war. Scholars generally observe the Court’s judicial review as deferential to the government. The War on Terror presents new and different challenges to American civil liberties. While this legal conflict has emerged again under the conditions of a war against terrorism, the war itself is markedly unlike past wars in American history. This research seeks to explain how …