Democracy & Rule of Law

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A sign with the name and logo is seen outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Why Countering the Assault on the International Criminal Court is Necessary to Protect the International Legal Order

Current and former Presidents of the ICC's Assembly of States Parties on the role of the Court in upholding the international legal order.
In a tense-filled scene, six people are gathered on the far side of an oakwood-colored table scattered with papers and pens, a coffee dispenser and disposable cups in the foreground and a suited man standing in shadows at the back left. Rice has an expression of concern as she's looking to her left toward Cheney on the phone. Three of the other people around her, two women including Hughes and a man, stand around her and one man kneels to her right, all focused on the phone conversation Cheney apparently is having the the president.

A Quarter Century After 9/11: Lessons Learned and Lost

A former member of the George W. Bush administration’s National Security Council reflects on what the United States got right and wrong in its response to the 9/11 attacks.
The site of a strike on a girls' school in Minab, in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, on February 28, 2026

Just Security Podcast: Has the United States Violated the Law of Armed Conflict in the Iran War?

Host Ryan Goodman is joined by an expert panel to discuss whether the United States has violated the law of armed conflict in its war against Iran.
Two hands fanning out a stack of multi-colored Kenyan currency bills.

Civil Society Donors Should Heed the Risks of FATF Grey List-Induced Panic

The Financial Action Task Force's designations of countries to thwart terrorism financing more often result in governments suppressing civil society than in real reform.
The USS Gravely, a US Navy warship, departs the Port of Port of Spain on October 30, 2025.

America’s War on Drug Smugglers at Sea Is Unlawful—and It Is Failing

U.S. strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels mark an unlawful expansion of military force into what has long been—and should remain—a law enforcement mission.

Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers, Operation Southern Spear, Operation Absolute Resolve

Collection of expert analysis on the legality of the U.S. strike on Venezuelan vessels in the Caribbean, the consequences of the strike, and related issues.
View of the judge's bench from the audience inside a federal courtroom in Federal District Court in Manhattan on June 6, 2025 in New York City.

What the Presumption of Regularity’s Erosion Means for Challenges to Executive Action

The erosion of the presumption of regularity presents opportunities to those challenging the Trump administration’s agenda in court.
The Washington Monument reflects in the Capitol Reflecting Pool at sunset on a warm evening on June 2, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

The Anti-Corruption Tracker: Mapping the Erosion of Oversight and Accountability

This Anti-Corruption Tracker focuses on the erosion or dismantling of oversight and accountability systems within the United States Executive Branch.
The Authority of Law statue by is seen in front of the United States Supreme Court building.

U.S. Supreme Court’s Rejection of the “Presumption of Regularity”

Trump v. Cook marked a significant break from the traditional judicial deference known as the "presumption of regularity."
A law enforcement officer in riot gear and a gas mask stands in the foreground, seen through a chained fence. Behind the fence, protesters hold signs reading "ICE OUT NOW," "RESTORE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW," and "ICE KILLS."

Collateral Accountability: The Oldest Check on Federal Lawlessness

As a federal-level accountability desert forms, states are reviving "collateral accountability" — damages suits against federal officers who violate constitutional rights.
Syrians gather as they celebrate in front of the Palace of Justice after the court proceedings, in Damascus on August 11, 2026

A Sentence in Damascus and An Accused in Moscow: The Limits of Syria’s First Attempt at Accountability

Bashar Al-Assad's in absentia conviction represents a milestone in Syria's justice system, but the trial was plagued by glaring problems.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio standing before an American flag.

Why the Trump Administration is Pushing States to Quit the ICC, and How Member States Can Push Back

States parties should use the United States’ bid for support in its fight against the ICC to push back on Washington’s attempt to dismantle the Court.
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