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.
3,511 Articles

Part 1 – Tanker, Jailer, Soldier, Sailor: Functional Immunity and the Enrica Lexie Award
At the heart of the Enrica Lexie dispute-- a clash between an Italian tanker and an Indian fishing boat-- lies a question of jurisdictional immunity: was India barred from exercising…

Despite US Veto, Desperate ISIS Suspects and Families Remain at Risk
There is good news and bad news from the recent UN Security Council vote on a dangerously flawed draft resolution on so-called “foreign terrorist fighters."

Why Them? On the U.S. Sanctions Against Int’l Criminal Court Officials
What messages is the United States sending by targeting Fatou Bensouda and Phakiso Mochochoko in particular?

The Int’l Criminal Court Executive Order: Global Reactions Compiled
With the Trump administration poised to issue sanctions under its new executive order aimed at the ICC, Beth Van Schaack gathers key global reactions to the order and identifies…

Anniversary of Genocidal Attacks on Rohingya Reminds Us They Are Still at Risk
"We come together as a Rohingya woman and a descendant of Holocaust survivors to reckon with the unconscionable crimes the Rohingya community has faced, and affirm the obligations…

The UN Charter’s Original Effect on State Sovereignty and the Use of Force
In 1945, not all states were UN members and not all territories were states: Dehn explains how use of force and self-defense rights under the Charter reflect these different statuses…

State Dept. Inspector General Report: A Troubling Message on Arms Sales
"A stunning revelation given the repeated, severe cases of civilian casualties resulting from Saudi-led Coalition operations over the past several years."

Hardwired Against Change: Race, Incarceration, and COVID-19
"Given the unique risks of exposure, infection, and death in prisons, jails and detention centers, challenging carceral secrecy is even more important than ever in the midst of…

Policy Options in Response to Crimes Against Humanity and Potential Genocide in Xinjiang
The international community can unite in myriad ways to end the stunningly sweeping abuses China is committing against Uyghurs.

The Supreme Court’s Attack on Habeas Corpus in DHS v. Thuraissigiam
Refugees are the primary target of the Court’s decision in DHS v. Thuraissigiam, but the the opinion endangers everyone – U.S. citizens included – by reopening settled questions…

Post-Pandemic Canada: “At the Mercy of the Indian Race”?
Last winter, before the COVID-19 pandemic dominated headlines, Canada was already in the midst of a national crisis. This crisis stemmed from Indigenous opposition to the construction…

Two Regional Human Rights Tribunals Forge Ahead Despite Trump’s Attacks on International Institutions
Regional bodies have crucial opportunities in the coming months to address the violations imposed upon men subjected to the post-9/11 extraordinary rendition program.