Executive Branch
Just Security’s expert authors provide analysis of the U.S. executive branch related to national security, rights, and the rule of law. Analysis and informational resources focus on the executive branch’s powers and their limits, and the actions of the president, administrative agencies, and federal officials.
4,757 Articles
No Impunity for Torturers [Updated]
[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on December 15, 2014. Check out a substantial Update published on January 5, 2015 and appended below.] In a post called…
The Arms Trade Treaty Enters Into Force
On Christmas Eve, the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT, text here) entered into force in record time following the attainment of 50+ ratifications. The ATT is the first multilateral treaty…
The Three Legal Questions Left Unresolved by al-Libi’s Death
Just 10 days before his trial on terrorism charges was set to begin in Manhattan federal court, accused al Qaeda operative Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruquai, from Libya, better known…
14 National Security Law “Heroes” in 2014
We spend a lot of time on this blog being critical–of people; of institutions; of judicial decisions; and of policy developments But as 2014 draws to a close, I thought it…
End of (which) war?
A “formal” end to “America’s longest war”? That’s how many media outlets are describing the transition of NATO’s role in Afghanistan…
Normative Voids and Asymmetry in Cyberspace
[Editors’ Note: This post is the latest installment of our “Monday Reflections” feature, in which a different Just Security editor examines the big stories from the previous…
New Article (and February 2015 Symposium) on Prosecuting Military Detainees in Civilian Courts
Hot off the e-presses, the published version of my Cardozo Law Review article on “Terrorism Prosecutions and the Problem of Constitutional Cross-Ruffing” is now available…
Taking the Weight off of International Law: Has Syria Consented to US Airstrikes?
US airstrikes in Syria have raised significant questions about whether the US actions violate international law. That controversy would evaporate if Syria took a path of consenting,…
Remedies for Egregious Constitutional Violations and the Topside D.C. Circuit Briefing in Meshal
Back in June, I wrote a long post about the D.C. district court’s decision in Meshal v. Higgenbotham, in which Judge Sullivan dismissed a damages suit brought by a U.S.…
Did USAID engage in “covert action” in Cuba without proper domestic legal authority?
Lost in last week’s wave of news coverage on Cuba was an important Associated Press story on reportedly clandestine practices conducted by the U.S. Agency for International Development…
The Sony Hack: Norms and North Korea
In statements on the Sony hack on Friday, both Secretary of State John Kerry and President Obama highlighted the need to develop norms for state behavior in cyberspace. Tying the…
Not to be Forgotten: The Case of Maher Arar
In the midst of our ongoing coverage of the content of, and fall out from, the Senate Select Intelligence Committee Report, and debates about the obligation to devise some form…