International Law
Just Security offers expert analysis of international law and its role in addressing global challenges. Our coverage includes litigation in international and regional tribunals, the process of international law-making, analysis of compliance and accountability for international law violations–including international criminal justice, and challenges to the international legal order.
3,510 Articles
How the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 Was (and Might Be) Forgotten
"This effort exemplifies what the philosopher Charles Mills calls 'white ignorance,' in which the ideology of white supremacy infects what counts as knowledge, and testimony about…
Reckoning with State-Sanctioned Racial Violence: Lessons from the Tulsa Race Massacre
Top legal scholar outlines five "features of what a capacious commitment to democratic repair in the wake of state violence might mean" for Tulsa.
Introduction to Just Security’s Series on Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921
This article introduces a new series on the hundredth anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. The series will bring together experts to re-examine different aspects of the Tulsa…
Asylum and the Three Little Words that Can Spell Life or Death
The U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals defines “particular social group” in a way that practically ensures the denial of asylum claims, especially for Central Americans. The…
The IDF Attack on Al Jalaa Tower: Criticisms Are Correct on the Law, But Mistaken in Applying It
A response to Professor Adil Haque's influential analysis.
The IDF’s Unlawful Attack on Al Jalaa Tower
The IDF's reported view — that civilian apartments don't have to count in the legal analysis when taking such a strike — is flawed beyond repair, writes professor Adil Haque.…
Torture Evidence and the Guantanamo Military Commissions
Burying evidence of torture, while surreptitiously admitting the fruits of torture is not what a decent legal system does. Bringing to justice those accused of atrocious crimes…
Clearing the Fog of War Surrounding Battlefield Use of Tear Gas
The United States takes the (minority) view that international law does not prohibit the defensive use of tear gas in war - and that this could protect civilians - but the risks…
The Eroding Norms Against Chemical Weapons Use Will Need More Than Another Syria Censure to Survive
A challenge inspection and an expanded mandate for a new investigations team are among options to halt the global backsliding.
Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: The Need for an Inclusive Accountability
The Feb. 1 coup made it clear that when it comes to maintaining its grip on power, the Tatmadaw does not discriminate. The brutality with which it has consistently engaged with…
The US Should Respect the ICC’s Founding Mandate
An American Society of International Law task force recommends ways to improve the Court, but some of the advice seems to undermine the goal.
Dispatch from Israel on Human Shields: What I Should’ve Said to a Dad on the Playground
Who's responsible for the deaths of those civilians in Gaza who were near areas where Hamas operates?