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.
3,736 Articles

Ukraine and the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression: Redefining International Justice
The tribunal to prosecute Russia's crime of aggression seeks to close one of the most enduring gaps in international criminal law and strengthen the U.N. Charter.

Syria’s Accountability Gap: The Najib Trial and the Case for the ICC
The first criminal trial against a senior Assad regime official comes at a time when Syria’s legal framework remains fragile.

Congress Can Act Now on U.S. DoD Inspector’s Report Revealing Violations of Civilian Harm Policy and Law
A Defense Department Inspector General report shows the Pentagon’s failure to prioritize congressionally mandated civilian protection mechanisms amid U.S. military action.

The ICESCR in Armed Conflict: Submission to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Experts argue ICESCR applies in armed conflict and caution against broad claims of international humanitarian law as lex specialis.

“Hunting” the October 7 Attackers: What the Law of Armed Conflict Permits – and What It Doesn’t
Legal analysis of Israel's operation to kill or capture every individual involved in the October 7th massacre.

Follow the Law, Not the Plan: Legal Considerations for Third States in Gaza
Third State’s support for Trump’s Gaza plan must remain strictly conditioned on compliance with international law and be continuously reassessed in light of evolving facts.…

Shooting Down Civil Aircraft: What International and U.S. Law Say About a Charge in the Raul Castro Indictment
Q&A providing an overview of the legal framework governing shootdowns, including their status under both international and domestic U.S. law

I Was Afghanistan’s Attorney General. Here Is What Justice Looked Like — and What Destroyed It.
Afghanistan’s justice system took 20 years to build and 11 days to destroy. Former Attorney General Mohammad Farid Hamidi outlines the ongoing fight for accountability.

International Accountability for U.S. Crimes in the Caribbean and Pacific
If no one acts, U.S. crimes in the Caribbean and Pacific will embolden other bad actors and encourage more violations of international law.

To Memorialize the Fallen, Renew the Pursuit of Peace
This Memorial Day, to honor the memory of those who gave their lives in war, Americans should consider how to help mold a more peaceful future at home and abroad.

Ukrainian Drone Incursions into Baltic States, Russian Electronic Warfare Countermeasures, and International Law
Experts unpack the international law implications of recent incursions of Ukrainian drones into the airspace of Baltic countries due to Russian electronic warfare tactics.

The Kafala System Disables Workers. International Disability Law Can Hold Saudi Arabia Accountable
The story of a Kenyan domestic worker is one of 15 in the first UN communications challenging the Kafala system under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities