Revising the Treaty of Guarantee for a Cyprus Settlement On June 28th, 2017, the UN-sponsored international conference in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, will attempt to comprehensively settle the Cyprus Issue. The Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot delegations will be joined by the delegations of the three ‘Guarantor Powers’ (Greece, Turkey and the UK), and …
Leer »40th Anniversary of the Additional Protocols of 1977 of the Geneva Conventions of 1949
40th Anniversary of the Additional Protocols of 1977 of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 On 8 June 1977, at the invitation of Switzerland, plenipotentiaries of more than one hundred States gathered at the “Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts” to finalize …
Leer »The Right of Self-Defence Against Imminent Armed Attack In International Law
The Right of Self-Defence Against Imminent Armed Attack In International Law On 11 April 2017, the Australian Attorney-General, Senator the Hon. George Brandis QC, delivered a public lecture on “The Right of Self-Defence Against Imminent Armed Attack In International Law”, at the T C Beirne School of Law, University of …
Leer »Forcible Humanitarian Action in International Law
Forcible Humanitarian Action in International Law There is a widespread myth amongst international lawyers. This is the apparently unshakeable proposition that forcible humanitarian action is clearly unlawful. Any changes to that proposition would be impossible, given: The preponderance of the doctrine of sovereignty over countervailing considerations, such as human rights; …
Leer »Ukraine v Russia (Provisional Measures): State ‘Terrorism’ and IHL
Ukraine v Russia (Provisional Measures): State ‘Terrorism’ and IHL On 16 January 2017, Ukraine filed an Application against Russia before the International Court of Justice (‘ICJ’ or ‘the Court’), founding the Court’s jurisdiction (in part) on the compromissory clause (Article 24) of the Terrorism Financing Convention (‘ICSFT’). On the …
Leer »The Precedent Set by the US Reprisal Against the Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria
The Precedent Set by the US Reprisal Against the Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria In his recent post on the United States’ missile strike against a Syrian airbase, on 6 April 2017, Marko Milanovic focused primarily on the unlawfulness of that action (here). While I agree with that view, …
Leer »The Legality Surrounding the US Strikes in Syria
The Legality Surrounding the US Strikes in Syria by Nancy Simons [Nancy Simons is a Belgian lawyer and serves on the International Bar Association’s Drones Task Force. Her professional background lies in international law generally. She has worked at a number of international non-governmental organisations and the International Criminal Tribunal …
Leer »‘Terrorism’ at the World Court: Ukraine v Russia as an Opportunity for Greater Guidance on Relevant Obligations?
‘Terrorism’ at the World Court: Ukraine v Russia as an Opportunity for Greater Guidance on Relevant Obligations? Recently, Ukraine instituted proceedings against Russia before the ICJ, alleging violations of both the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (the ‘Convention’) and the International Convention on the Elimination …
Leer »Two Visions of the UN Charter
Two Visions of the UN Charter by Jens David Ohlin As I write this, the ASIL annual meeting is conducting a well-timed, previously unannounced panel discussion about the legality of the missile strikes against Assad’s airbase in Syria. In addition to Harold Koh (Yale Law School), who has argued in support …
Leer »War by Any Other Name? It’s Still War
War by Any Other Name? It’s Still War by Gabor Rona and Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum [Gabor Rona is a Visiting Professor of Law and Director of the Law and Armed Conflict Project at Cardozo Law School. Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human …
Leer »The Clearly Illegal US Missile Strike in Syria
The Clearly Illegal US Missile Strike in Syria Yesterday, the United States launched a missile strike against an airbase of the Syrian armed forces, in response to the recent chemical attack that the US claims was launched from this airbase. This is the first time that the US has directly …
Leer »North Korea and the Law on Anticipatory Self-Defense
North Korea and the Law on Anticipatory Self-Defense Media reports over the last few weeks indicate that the already tense relationship between North Korea and the United States is getting worse. Now that North Korea is nearly ready to test an intercontinental ballistic missile, the United States has said that …
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