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.
3,768 Articles
Mexico v. Smith & Wesson: U.S. Court Duel Over Extraterritorial Legal Issues Looms with Motion to Dismiss
U.S. gun manufacturers and distributors moved to dismiss Mexico's against them, teeing up a U.S. court showdown implicating transnational legal issues.
America Needs a War on Terror Transparency Act
The Pentagon has three months to investigate the disturbing New York Times report that the military conducted and covered up airstrikes in Baghuz, Syria that killed up to 64 civilians.…
France Is Not a Safe Haven for Human Rights Abusers – Despite High Court Opinion
The French high court struck a blow against universal jurisdiction recently - but the decision need not doom future cases.
Neither Truth Nor Reconciliation: Mexico’s President Betrays Commitment to Transitional Justice
Yet, regardless of the scale and acceleration of abuses, such concerns are marginalized or avoided at high-level US-Mexico meetings.
Crimes Against Humanity: Little Progress on Treaty as UN Legal Committee Concludes its Work
Despite a majority of States favoring a clear mandate and timeline to discuss the draft in the next year, a few countries essentially exercised vetoes.
Preliminary but Necessary: The Question of the Applicability of the Notion of Apartheid to Occupied Territory
Does the prohibition of apartheid apply to occupied territory? Marco Longobardo analyzes how laws of war, human rights, occupation, and against racial discrimination intersect.…
The Biden Administration’s Moment of Truth on Torture Evidence
US prosecutors claim the authority to use torture-derived evidence in Al-Nashiri's case, contrary to U.S. domestic and international legal obligations.
How International Law Could Help Preserve Nonproliferation in East Asia
Multilateral and bilateral agreements provide valuable infrastructure in the nonproliferation toolkit. The United States and others should continue to build and strengthen agreements…
On Empathy, Scholarship, and Political Action: A Response to Lahmann
The situation on Belarus's borders sparks a debate on the appropriate path for international legal scholars. The latest from Aurel Sari and Ben Hudson.
The Threat from Outer Space: Russia Tests Kinetic DA-ASAT Weapon
Russia’s unannounced anti-satellite missile test raises important legal and policy questions about the prohibition on the use of force in outer space.
Tragic Mistakes: Breaking the Military Culture of Impunity
How framing civilian harm in U.S. military operations -- as a “tragic mistake” -- hides the systemic failure that requires institutional reform.
Centcom’s Full Statement on Baghuz Strike: Annotated
Our co-editor-in-chief identifies and annotates the 20 most significant elements of Centcom's statement.