Immunity
154 Articles

Why Officials Keep Testifying Despite White House Counsel’s Letter on Impeachment Inquiry
"These are presumably not the results White House Counsel Cipollone expected when he sent his letter, but in retrospect they seem fairly predictable."

Suit Against Sri Lankan Presidential Candidate Rajapaksa Dismissed on Common Law Immunity Grounds
Among other deficiencies, the ruling failed to acknowledge jurisprudence from other courts indicating that jus cogens violations can never constitute “official” acts entitling…

What if a President Committed Genocide or Other Atrocity Crimes?
Ambassador David Scheffer writes: Whether or not the Justice Department opinions are correct about presidential immunity from indictment for ordinary crimes … Lawmakers should…

U.S. Sanctions Against Iran’s Foreign Minister and International Law
Sanctions against a foreign minister are a provocation that impede diplomacy. Their legality under international law also turns out to be a complex issue.

Time for a Cyber-Attack Exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act
Recently, a federal judge in New York dismissed the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) civil lawsuit against Russia, Wikileaks, and others stemming from the 2016 cyber-attack…

Why the ICC’s Judgment in the al-Bashir Case Wasn’t So Surprising
A look at why the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court made the right decision when it decided Jordan should have arrested then-Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir…

Annie Donaldson is Not the President’s “Alter Ego”
It could almost be a bar exam question. Under the Executive Branch theory that the president’s senior aides are “absolutely immune” from appearing before Congress, which…

The Three-Level Game in the White House Effort to Block McGahn’s Testimony
"It is a wonder that the attorney general is gambling on this case, to be brought on this record, to vindicate his constitutional theory."

Elisions and Omissions: Questioning the ICC’s Latest Bashir Immunity Ruling
A close analysis of the ICC Appeals Chamber's reasoning in the Bashir immunity case raises serious questions about its conclusions on the difference between national and international…

A Confusing ICC Appeals Judgment on Head-of-State Immunity
The outcome of the decision is not a surprise - but its implications for the immunity of senior officials of states that do not belong to the ICC, even beyond cases in which there…

Preview of the International Criminal Court Appeals Judgment on Al-Bashir and Head of State Immunity
Three weeks ago, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber announced that on May 6 it would issue its judgment on whether President Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan was entitled…

Letter to the Editor – Germany’s Extradition Request for Gen. Jamil Hassan, with U.S. Support
I very much appreciate Just Security’s bringing to your readers’ attention the German extradition request to Lebanon for Syria’s General Jamil Hassan, who is under suspicion…