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.

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3,508 Articles
People in black hoods and orange jumpsuits walk in front of US Capitol Building

Russian Torture and American (Selective) Memory

"No nation ever has and no nation ever will . . . torture their way to security."
Cambodian survivor of the infamous Tuol Sleng prison Chum Mey speaks to the media after the verdict to uphold the genocide and life sentence of ex-Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan at the Extraordinary Chamber in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) in Phnom Penh on September 22, 2022.

The Politics of the ECCC: Lessons from Cambodia’s Unique and Troubled Accountability Effort

"For all its problems and shortfalls, the ECCC has managed to sentence a head of state for genocide. In a region where authoritarianism is on the rise, the significance of this…
Two women walk to the checkpoint from the Arab to the Israeli area of Hebron, West Bank.

The Law of Occupation Must Address the Lives of Women and Girls

For far too long, occupation law has ignored the experiences of women and girls. It is time to refocus the conversation.
Woman in blue dress at podium with White House seal, American flags and zoom with many participants behind her

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Reflections on Tribal Sovereignty in Haaland v. Brackeen

"As Indigenous people and allies celebrate and reflect, it is equally imperative to understand and champion both historical and contemporary issues – and to understand the ways…
The "petit seminaire" (small seminary) Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp in the Central African Republic city of Bangassou, where 2,000 Muslims had been living for almost three years, as of February 13, 2020. In May 2017, a column of anti-Balaka Christian militiamen swept through Bangassou, which until then had been relatively untouched by the civil war that had ravaged the rest of the country since 2013, killing at least 72 Muslim civilians and 12 peacekeepers in a matter of days, according to the United Nations. (Photo by CAMILLE LAFFONT/AFP via Getty Images)

At the UN: New Moves to Speak Up for a Crimes Against Humanity Treaty

Amid a new resolution, delegations will need to send a crucial signal that protections for civilians are deepening -- not withering.

Averting Future Mass Atrocities in South Sudan as Peace Terms Stall

Pressing for certain "reforms" carries risks. The US, with allies, can take steps to help avert a further deterioration. 
Russian President Vladimir Putin stands at a white podium. Behind him are two Russian flags.

Stop Saying “Annexed Territories”: Alternatives to the Bully’s Term

To say Russia has “annexed” a Ukrainian oblast while Ukraine maintains its territorial claim is, in a minor way, to aid Russia in its wrongful act. The clearest description…
Supporters and Judges of Krakow Courts hold banners during a protest against an ongoing session of the Disciplinary Chamber of Poland's Supreme Court to consider the application of the National Public Prosecutor's Office for permission to detain and forcibly bring Judge Igor Tuleya in front of Krakow's Appeal Court on April 21, 2021 in Krakow, Poland. Igor Tuleya, who had been critical of changes to Poland's justice system, had become a symbol of the struggle for judicial independence in Poland. The EU had taken Poland to court over judicial independence concerns. (Photo by Omar Marques/Getty Images)

Poland’s Judicial Reform Falls Short of EU Expectations, Complicating Cooperation Against Russia

Pres. Duda’s failure to reverse course on actions that increase tensions and decrease solidarity in Europe weakens their alliance with the US.
People waiting in line in foreground; spires of a Cambodian temple in background.

The ECCC Begins Winding Down: In Cambodia, a Hybrid Tribunal’s Hybrid Legacy

Constrained by domestic politics and with its final verdict delivered, the ECCC's legacy – like its nature – is a hybrid one.

11 Takeaways from Senate Hearing on Expanding War Crimes Act and a Crimes Against Humanity Statute

Bipartisan hearing with takeaways for Ukraine War, International Criminal Court, war crimes and torture prosecutions and more.
Overhead shot of people in suits seated at a portion of circular table, all watching individual screens with the same image of a person speaking.

The United Nations in Hindsight: The Long and Winding Road to Security Council Reform

The UN Security Council's inability to address Russia's war against Ukraine has generated renewed interest in ideas for Security Council reform -- but "the path to reform may be…
Bus faces the camera in foreground. Dome of US Capitol Building in background.

In Weaponizing Asylum Seekers, DeSantis & Abbott Unwittingly Demonstrate the Possibility of Safe Transit Policies for Migrants

Ironically, the governors' actions show that the US could implement policies that better reflect the realities of migration - by treating migrants has human beings rather than…
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