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.
3,512 Articles

The High Hurdle for Aiding and Abetting Unlawful Attacks in Yemen
This is piece is the the latest article in our forum on the Yemen crisis and the law. The Alien Torts Statute (ATS), a jurisdictional statute that allows non-U.S. citizens to…

‘I Won’t Torture’ is Not Enough: Question Pompeo on US Rendition Policy
Numerous concerns have been raised about Mike Pompeo, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of state. Though the US Senate confirmed him as the Central Intelligence Agency…

The Downsides of Bombing Syria
Air strikes would raise very serious legal and practical concerns.

Official Immunity Under the Rome Statute: The Path From Principle to Practice Is Seldom Straight
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…

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…

All Hands on Deck: Cyber Attacks Against Private Companies and International Law
Last Wednesday, reports surfaced that the U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing had been hit by a serious ransomware attack. A leaked internal memo suggested that some production equipment…

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.

Just Security’s Symposium on the ICC Afghanistan Probe and the US
Just Security is pleased to announce the launch of an online symposium dedicated to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe in Afghanistan and its implications for the…

Another Airstrike in Kunduz, and More Civilian Deaths
Once again, airstrikes targeting insurgent leaders in Afghanistan have killed and injured dozens of civilians. On the morning of April 2, Afghan government forces attacked the…

U.S. Federal Statute on Aiding and Abetting: War Crimes in Yemen – Part II
This piece is the second of two on U.S. operations in Yemen and the War Crimes Act, and the latest article in our forum on the Yemen crisis and the law. In September 2017, Ryan…