International and Foreign
2,988 Articles
UK High Court Rules on Case Involving Alleged US Rendition and Torture: Belhaj v. Straw and Others
The United Kingdom’s High Court today ruled in the case of Abdul-Hakim Belhaj who sued the UK government for its involvement in the alleged US torture and rendition (to Libya)…
Up to Date with the EU on Data Protection: Canvassing Implications for the US
The EU’s justice and rights commissioner, Viviane Reding has recently warned that the U.S. needs to adjust its surveillance programs or risk freezing its data sharing arrangements…
UK Detainee Inquiry Report details Britain’s involvement in US torture and rendition programs
Across the pond, London has been politically rocked by the release of a report (full text) by an official inquiry into whether UK agents were involved in US torture and rendition…
Universal Jurisdiction Cases Involving U.S. Defendants
Ruchi Parekh’s recent post on the South African appellate decision on universal jurisdiction suggests that the ruling—which compels the South African authorities to investigate…
Forced Transfer of Detainees with Diplomatic Assurances Against Ill-Treatment
Two recent developments have brought to the fore the issue of involuntary transfer of detainees to countries where they fear severe mistreatment such as torture or death. The first…
Privacy and Data Collection/Retention in the EU: Villalón Opinion
On Thursday of last week, Advocate General Cruz Villalón (see here for a description of the role of the Advocate General and the non-binding nature of their Opinions) delivered…
The Parallels Between South African and U.S. Law On Universal Jurisdiction
The Parallels Between South African and U.S. Law On Universal Jurisdiction In an earlier post, we noted that the South African universal jurisdiction (UJ) statute is not particularly…
Amnesty International’s Survey on Universal Jurisdiction: A Reply to Kevin Jon Heller
Kevin Jon Heller has a post over at Opinio Juris responding to concerns I raised about Amnesty International’s survey of states that have adopted universal jurisdiction. Kevin…
Counting Universal Jurisdiction States: What’s Wrong with Amnesty International’s Numbers [Updated]
[Update: Kevin Jon Heller replies to Ryan’s post over at Opinio Juris. And Ryan responds to Kevin. Hugo Relva, Legal Adviser at Amnesty International submitted a Letter to the…
The Unexceptional Nature of the South African Universal Jurisdiction Law
In the wake of the moving funeral of Nelson Mandela, we have reported on the recent ruling of the South African Supreme Court of Appeal mandating that the National Prosecution…
Drones Strikes Kill 18 in Yemen This Week — More Transparency is Needed
The alleged US drone strike that reportedly killed up to 15 people on their way to a wedding in Yemen on Thursday is just one more reason why the Obama administration has to start…
Universal Jurisdiction: The South African Chapter
In the latest judicial ruling to grapple with issues of universal jurisdiction, South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal handed down a judgment in late November that could potentially…