Transnational Law Commons^™

Is International Law Progressive, Cormac Macamhlaigh

Buffalo Law Review

The rise of authoritarian populism in recent years has raised the question of whether international law can be coopted for authoritarian purposes. Tom Ginsburg has recently argued for the rise of what he calls “authoritarian international law” which, he claims, is undermining the hitherto progressive ethos of international law since the foundation of the United Nations. This paper critically examines this category of authoritarian international law. Adopting a Dworkinian interpretive methodology to the question of the normativity of international law, it argues that a putative authoritarian international law is incompatible with the normativity of international law as currently understood. This …

When European State Courts Face Post-Colonial Legality: A Private International Law Approach Inspired By Decolonial Theory, Sandrine Brachotte

Buffalo Law Review

This Essay develops avenues for private international law (PIL) to deal with cases involving the interaction between Western state law and distinctive forms of law that citizens from post-colonial states, especially African states, bring with them to Europe. Laws of the second type, which I call “postcolonial legality,” incorporate both traditional forms of legality usually dubbed “religious” and “customary” law along with state law that originates from colonial law. Drawing on some lessons from decolonial theory, I try to apply to this particular context a “less colonial” PIL theory and subsequent PIL rules and reasoning. The argument builds on the …

The Priority Of International Law, Pavlos Eleftheriadis

Buffalo Law Review

What is international law? Any theory of international law must explain both its technical nature and its moral force and must also show how the two come together in practice in order to give it the priority that it claims. For example, the genocide cases before the International Court of Justice exhibit a puzzling dedication to procedure. The Court is invited to examine the war in Gaza strictly on the basis of the Genocide Convention, without assessing any allegations of war crimes or other alleged violations of international law. The reason is a well-known procedural rule—namely that states have to …

Water, Rosario Sanchez, Gabriel E. Eckstein

Faculty Scholarship

As the new US administration begins its term in January 2025, its ability to address complex, interconnected challenges will shape the future of US-Mexico relations. From economic cooperation and migration to shared security concerns, the new president’s leadership will be pivotal in navigating these critical issues and strengthening bilateral ties between Mexico and the United States. Effective collaboration will be vital to building a more prosperous and stable North America.

To support this effort, the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute has prepared a comprehensive booklet as a practical roadmap for the incoming administration. This publication offers actionable recommendations across six priority …

Does The Loss Of Chance Doctrine Have A Chance In International Sport Arbitration?, Dmitry A. Pentsov

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

The Article analyzes whether and, if so, how, the loss of chance doctrine providing the basis for claims against person who deprived victims of a chance of occurrence of a certain result or decreased this chance could be used in international sport arbitration at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). It provides a comparative analysis of applicability of this doctrine under English law, French law, and the law of the State of New York to sport competitions and outlines potential problems of utilizing this doctrine in the CAS arbitration through domestic law based on choice-of-law rules. The Article argues …

Human Rights Forum Shopping In Transnational Sport Disputes, Ilias Bantekas

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

Professional athletes must adhere to the dispute resolution mechanisms contained in their agreements with sport governing bodies (SGBs). These typically provide for SGB institutional arbitration with appeals against such awards to CAS, although in some instances direct recourse to CAS is also possible. These mechanisms do not cater for attendant human rights claims arising from the underlying dispute. This article suggests that a variety of sui generis forum shopping possibilities are available to address this deficit. Applicants may approach national courts with a sufficient jurisdictional link to the SGB in question by raising constitutional (and by extension human rights) and …

Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, And Associated Traditional Knowledge, N.S. Gopalakrishnan, Srividhya Ragavan, Narendran Thiruthy

Faculty Scholarship

The recently concluded WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge mandates disclosure requirements in patent applications, thereby creating an obligation to attribute the use of genetic resources and traditional knowledge. The WIPO member countries thus have an opportunity to modify their national patent laws, so that they can effectively control genetic resources and traditional knowledge. This article examines the choices that the biodiversity-rich countries have when designing their national legal systems to implement the treaty.

The Brink Of War: How Courts Avoid Injudicious Aggravation Of Tension Between Nations, Vivian M. Williams

Publications and Research

As armed conflict between nations is keeping the world on edge, there is an urgent need for courts to be more aware of how disputes before them could aggravate tension between nations. Courts exercise the sovereign powers of a country. However, there is greater overlap in an interconnected global economy where cross-border transactions are frequent. When these disputes involve state parties or pertain to acts of other states, they could make it difficult for the Executive branch of government to manage relations with hostile countries. This article examines how the doctrines of comity and judicial deference could be utilized by …

A Nuremberg Woman And The Hague Academy, Diane Marie Amann

Scholarly Works

This article, which forms part of the journal's special review series marking the centenary of the Hague Academy of International Law, draws from the author's ongoing research into the roles that lawyers and other women professionals played at post-World War II trials. The article focuses on the life of one “Nuremberg woman,” Dr. Aline Chalufour, who attended the Academy in 1937 and again in 1957. In between, she worked in what is now Vietnam as a colonial schoolteacher, in Canada as a Free French propagandist for de Gaulle, at Nuremberg and Hamburg as a war crimes prosecutor, and in France …

Arctic Policy Considerations For Scottish Independence, Mason Mcinnis Brewer

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

The ongoing effects of climate change on the Arctic environment raises the geopolitical importance of the Arctic and nearby regions, such as the broader High North. With deteriorating relations between Russia and much of the international community, changes to international borders in these regions would undoubtedly be a concern for those with Arctic interests. Consequently, due to Scotland’s location in the world, the legal analysis surrounding any Scottish claim to external self-determination under international law would include Arctic considerations. Following a review of the Artic policy priorities of the U.K. and Scottish governments, and each government's involvement in developing those …

The Loss & Damage Fund: Will It Leave Greenland Behind?, Natalie L. Nowatzke

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) maintains three pillars of international climate governance: (1) mitigation, (2) adaptation, and (3) loss and damage. Loss and damage, the newest pillar, refers to the negative effects of climate change that transpire despite mitigation and adaptation measures. This notion has manifested into the newly operationalized Loss and Damage Fund, which is designed to compensate developing nations for the losses and damages that occur. This Comment identifies a gap in the Loss and Damage Fund, which will leave Greenland left out of receiving compensation, despite being extremely vulnerable to climate change, because …

Indigenous Peoples As A Tool For Russia's International Publicity In The Arctic Region, Pavel Sulyandziga, Dmitry Berezhkov

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

The Arctic region is strategically significant with its economic activity, resources, and its Indigenous populations. Russia has recognized the significance of the Indigenous peoples living in the Arctic and has fueled its international publicity by using these peoples as a tool for public relations. The colonizing of these regions and the strategic use of propaganda by the Russian government weaves a complicated tale—one in which the Russian administration voices support for the Indigenous populations while removing protections for these same peoples.

Climate Change In Arctic And Indigenous Peoples: Challenges And Solutions, Vera Solovyeva

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

Climate change poses a serious threat to human well-being, negatively affecting health, traditional environmental management, water supply and food security. Changes in the environment are exacerbating indigenous peoples' problems. This is especially relevant to those who lead traditional lifestyles and whose well-being depends on agricultural and livestock production. This Article addresses the challenges and potential solutions to climate change in the Arctic ecosystem, including the Sub-Arctic regions. Physical changes to the landscape are examined alongside impacts on Indigenous culture and identity. In addition, the article explains the importance of Indigenous knowledge, values, and ethics in developing successful adaptation strategies. In …

Strategic Minerals And The U.S. Arctic Continental Shelf, James Kraska

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

The United States may seek to reduce its dependency on China for strategic minerals and rare earth elements by exploiting deposits on its continental shelf in the Arctic region. On December 19, 2023, the United States announced the outer limits of it extended continental shelf. Like other countries, the United States exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the living and non-living resources of the continental shelf, which is comprised of the sea bed and subsoil of the continental margin. The U.S. continental shelf extends beyond 200 nautical miles in seven locations, including the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean. Although the …

Under The Shadow Of Absolute Sovereignty: Exploring Conditional Sovereignty In The Case Of Svalbard Geopolitics, Eda Ayaydin

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

This Article analyzes different sovereignty approaches in the context of Svalbard. Since the signing of the Svalbard Treaty, establishing Norway’s absolute sovereignty over the archipelago, the geopolitics of the region have evolved, particularly given Svalbard’s geographical position in the European Arctic. This Article concludes that Svalbard's sovereignty deviates from the classical concept of absolute sovereignty, instead operating under the framework of conditional sovereignty.

Greenland's Foreign Policy, Past And Present: From The Merchants' Message To Bilateral Agreements, Kenneth Høegh

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Russia's Arctic Maritime Claims, Raul Pete Pedrozo

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

As an Arctic State, Russia has extensive maritime claims in the Arctic Ocean. This Article analyzes those claims to determine their consistency with international law. A brief overview of the applicable legal regime in the Arctic is provided, in particular, a discussion of Article 234 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), applicability of the mandatory Polar Code adopted by the International Maritime Organization in 2017, and the various legally binding agreements adopted by the Arctic Council. The Article will also review Russia’s maritime boundary agreements with the United States (1990), which is being provisionally …

The Public Order Of The Arctic: Problems And Prospects, Charles H. Norchi

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Economic Sanctions And Article V(2)(B) Of The New York Convention: A Touchy Interaction Exacerbated By The Ukraine-Russia Conflict, Alberto Pomari

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

States have deployed an unprecedented wave of unilateral sanctions in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They have also escalated the political connotation of economic sanctions by aggressively implementing them extraterritorially. This exercise of lawfare, substituting economic sanctions for armed conflict, raises the question of whether to consider unilateral sanctions elements of public policy within the meaning of Article V(2)(b) of the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. This article seeks to clarify the interplay between Article V(2)(b) and economic sanctions. Explaining the two different approaches that domestic courts implement worldwide, recent court …

A Survey Of Slavery & The Slave Trade Law, Cardozo Law Institute In Holocaust And Human Rights (Clihhr), Benjamin B. Ferencz Human Rights And Atrocity Prevention Clinic

CLIHHR Reports & Policy Submissions

This comprehensive report, compiled by the Benjamin B. Ferencz Human Rights and Atrocity Prevention (HRAP) Clinic at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law from 2020 to 2024, surveys domestic slavery and slave trade laws across States Parties to the Rome Statute. Law students conducted comparative legal research examining how national legislation defines and criminalizes slavery, the slave trade, sexual slavery, and related practices such as trafficking and forced labor. Organized by region, the report presents constitutional and penal code provisions, assesses compliance with international humanitarian law, and highlights legal trends and gaps. It serves as a vital resource for …