Courts & Litigation

Just Security’s expert authors offer analysis and informational resources on key litigation impacting national security, rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Our content spans domestic and international litigation, from cases at the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and other international and regional tribunals, to those in U.S. courts involving executive branch actions, transnational litigation, and more.

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2,994 Articles
A Carnival Cruise ship is docked at the PortMiami as the company becomes one of the first to be sued under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse on May 02, 2019 in Miami, Florida.

No Oligarch Left Behind: Trump’s Title III Cuba Policy

After the Revolution, Cuba expropriated the property of U.S. nationals and Cubans, including those who (like my family) came to the United States. In May, the Trump administration…
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir waves a walking stick as he rides in the back of a pickup truck in an advancing motorcade in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur province, on September 21, 2017.

Understanding the Decision to Revive the Sudanese Genocide Lawsuit Against BNP Paribas

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that a lawsuit brought by victims of genocide in Sudan against the French mega-bank can proceed.
People look at the Malvinas Islands Monument on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the 1982 South Atlantic war between Argentina and Britain over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, some 3100 km south of Buenos Aires, on April 1, 2012.

The Malvinas as a Post-Bellum Case Study: From Decolonization to the Memory of the Departed

After the International Court of Justice's Chagos opinion, the right to self-determination remains contested. But Malvinas is also a model for post-bellum diplomacy. What does…
US Marines salute during a handover ceremony at Leatherneck Camp in Lashkar Gah in the Afghan province of Helmand on April 29, 2017.

Post-9/11 Veterans Have Mixed Feelings About Trump’s War Crimes Pardons

In order to better understand how to think about this controversial decision, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) conducted a flash poll this week, with over 1,600…
A Huawei logo is displayed at a retail store in Beijing on May 23, 2019.

An Emergency or Business as Usual? Huawei and Trump’s Emergency Powers

Should the emergency declaration be used purely as leverage in a trade war, it would clearly be an abuse of the intent of emergency powers.
An empty courtroom

The American Way of War Includes Fidelity to Law: Preemptive Pardons Break that Code

"The news that President Trump is even considering such action is unlike conduct by any President in modern history, and the danger it poses to the rule of law is staggering. Such…
Julian Assange is restrained by men and police.

Indictment of Assange for Espionage Directly Threatens Press Freedoms

This article is co-published with The Bulwark.   Boy, did I ever get this wrong. Back in mid-April, when the Department of Justice unveiled an indictment of Julian Assange,…
US Attorney General William Barr testifies during a US House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the Department of Justice Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, April 9, 2019. He leans his head sideways into his hand.

When Is a “Literally True” Statement False and a Crime

"Reluctant witnesses, perhaps taking a cue from Attorney General William Barr’s April 9 testimony before a House committee, may think that so long as their testimony is literally…
A name plate for former White House Counsel Don McGahn sits on the witness table prior to a House Judiciary Committee hearing in which McGahn was subpoenaed to testify May 21, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

The Three-Level Game in the White House Effort to Block McGahn’s Testimony

"It is a wonder that the attorney general is gambling on this case, to be brought on this record, to vindicate his constitutional theory."
US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gives a thumbs-up as he is applauded during the ceremonial swear-in of Brett Kavanaugh as Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court by Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy before US President Donald Trump on October 8, 2018, at the White House in Washington, DC.

Why the Fight for the Supreme Court Became So Ugly

In a new documentary, called “Supreme Revenge,” airing Tuesday night on PBS, FRONTLINE goes back decades to tell the story of how the Supreme Court confirmation process has…
U.S. President Donald Trump listens to Attorney General William Barr during the 38th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service at the west front of the Capitol May 15, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Bill Barr’s Extreme Views on War Powers Mean Congress’s Window to Stop War with Iran is Now

Attorney General Barr’s extreme past positions on unilateral presidential power could cut out any required role for Congress in authorizing or rejecting war. Here's what Congress…
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron hold a press conference for the launch the global "Christchurch Call" initiative to tackle the spread of extremism online at the Elysee Palace in Paris on May 15, 2019.

Why the Christchurch Call to Remove Online Terror Content Triggers Free Speech Concerns

In deciding whether to endorse the Christchurch Call, the question for U.S. policymakers was whether the text essentially called on the U.S. or others to act inconsistently with…
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