International Justice
1,085 Articles

What the Heck is Happening in Al-Nashiri?: The Ten-Layer Dip at the Heart of the Latest Guantánamo Mess
It’s hard to imagine a better microcosm of everything that’s gone wrong with the Guantánamo military commissions than the current headaches arising out of the prosecution…

The Devastating Legacy of British and American Nuclear Testing at Kiritimati (Christmas) and Malden Islands
Teeua Tetua was a child during the British nuclear weapons tests, known as Operation Grapple, on the Kiritimati (Christmas) and Malden Islands, then under British colonial control.…

Historic Moment for Liberians: Warlord Sentenced to 30 Years
Above: Mohammed Jabbateh in court. Image: Chase Walker/Civitas Maxima On April 19, a federal judge in Philadelphia handed down one of the most severe penalties ever imposed by…

Treaty Based Limitations on the Article 12 Jurisdiction of the Int’l Criminal Court
Above: An Afghani boy rides his bicycle past a U.S. Navy corpsman in Kajaki, Afghanistan. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) This piece is the latest in our online symposium–spearheaded…

At a Crossroad: The Int’l Criminal Court’s Afghanistan Probe and the International Law Commission
This piece is the latest in our online symposium–spearheaded by Professor Laura Dickinson–focusing on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe in Afghanistan and its…

Immunity for International Crimes: Where Do States Really Stand?
Under customary international law, government officials, intelligence officers, military personnel, and other state agents generally enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution by…

The Legality of Using Force to Deter Chemical Warfare
We should not be asking whether the missile strikes against Syria's chemical weapons program represent a lawful humanitarian intervention. Instead, we should be asking if – and…

Paying Attention to Land Rights in Syria Negotiations
As President Donald Trump ponders his response to yet another chemical weapons attack in Syria, advisers and commentators alike are mired in short-term calculations. But one day…

Evidence Unsealed in Colvin v. Syria
Media are reporting another chemical weapon attack in Syria (a summary of prior attacks is here). Notwithstanding these breaches of an indisputable international law rule, there…

Syria, Chemical Weapons, and a Qualitative Threshold for Humanitarian Intervention
An improved legal framework using a qualitative threshold—legitimizing humanitarian intervention against regimes that use chemical and biological weapons (CBW) on civilians—can…

Can the Int’l Criminal Court Try US Officials?–The Theory of “Delegated Jurisdiction” and Its Discontents (Part II)
Just Security is pleased to launch this online symposium–spearheaded by Professor Laura Dickinson–which is focused on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe…

Can the Int’l Criminal Court Try US Officials?–The Theory of “Delegated Jurisdiction” and Its Discontents (Part I)
This backgrounder covers the key issues of jurisdiction now that the Court is set to open an investigation that may cover alleged torture by US officials.