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.
3,695 Articles
US Military Admits It Killed Dozens More Civilians Than Previously Acknowledged. Now What?
In June and July, the US-led Coalition of countries fighting the armed group calling itself the Islamic State admitted that reports of civilian casualties it had previously dismissed…
Peter Strzok’s Firing Gives the Bureau a Chance to Reset
Former senior FBI official provides a counterweight to the emerging public narrative that this decision resulted from external political pressure on the Department.
Brett Kavanaugh and the Risk of a Return to Torture
Brett Kavanaugh, holds a stark view of the role of international law, which could threaten the protection of fundamental human rights, including the right not to be tortured.
To Be a True Reformer, Ethiopia’s Abiy Must Commit to Human Rights Accountability
From his historic overture to Eritrea to his unprecedented opening of the Ethiopian economy, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia has branded himself as a reformer since assuming…
How Transitional Justice Can Help the U.S. Defeat Terrorism
It may seem odd that the National Security Strategy discusses accountability for mass atrocities on the same page as defeating transnational terror. What could justice have to…
Legitimizing Foreign Mass Surveillance in the European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is beginning to weigh in on a sweep of legislation passed, in recent years, that authorizes bulk interception of foreign communications…
Precision and Civilian Casualties: Policymakers Believe Drones Can Be Precise. That May Not Be Enough.
What do policymakers’ own views of drones – particularly as they relate to civilian casualties – reflect, and how do those views affect policymaking?
How the U.S. and EU’s Cooperation with Sudan Rubberstamps Bad Behavior
Above: Sudan’s leader Omar al-Bashir In recent months, the United States and the European Union have been hard at work rebuilding ties with Sudan and lifting sanctions,…
The Latest ISIS Casualty? UK’s Principled Opposition to the Death Penalty
Like a dripping corrosive liquid, ISIS and the response it provokes from governments are slowly eating away at key human rights principles. Driven by a desire to appear tough on…
Two Important New Civilian Casualties Provisions in the Defense Authorization Bill
Draft text of the annual defense authorization bill contains two important provisions related to civilian casualties resulting from U.S. military operations.
The Challenge of Foreign Assistance for Anti-ISIS Detention Operations
New York Times reporter Charlie Savage last week gave readers a fascinating look inside the makeshift detention facilities where the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)…
Just Security Podcast: Shaheed Fatima QC on Protecting Children in Armed Conflict
Recent years have seen an escalation in impact of war on children – from the sexual enslavement to the deliberate bombing of their schools – subjecting a generation of children…