UN Charter
187 Articles
Bolton’s Stated Predicate for War With Iran Doesn’t Work
"Bolton has repeatedly threatened that Iran’s support for its 'proxies' could bring 'a very strong response'—even military force. By threatening military action against Iran…
Trump’s Golan Policy and Its Threat to the Post-War International Legal Order
Yale Law professors Oona Hathaway and Scott Shapiro, authors of an award-winning book on the use of force, respond directly to a Wall Street Journal op-ed by Secretary of State…
Barr’s Playbook: He Misled Congress When Omitting Parts of Justice Dep’t Memo in 1989
When Bill Barr was head of Office of Legal Counsel, he gave Congress the legal conclusions and reasoning of an important Justice Department memo but left out major portions of…
The Limited War Powers Precedent of the Korean “Police Action”
In a recent piece in the Washington Post, Professor Mary Dudziak drew attention to the Executive Branch’s continued reliance upon President Truman’s police action on the Korean…
What’s the Mission in Syria? The Answer May be Illegal and Without U.S. Allies’ Support
Statements about a US "peacekeeping" force and a mission to counter-Iran raise serious legal questions and threaten to unravel U.S. allies' support for future U.S. operations inside…
How Far Can a Rogue Kremlin Push International Law?
The Russian-Ukrainian standoff at the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov shows that the Kremlin now is just ignoring international law. The United States and the West need to adjust…
Them’s Fightin’ Words? State Dept. Ramps Up Iran Rhetoric
The Trump administration's repeated use of the phrase, “threat to international peace and security,” when talking about Iran, should be monitored carefully.
The U.N. Security Council’s Outsized Role in Shaping Counter Terrorism Regulation and Its Impact on Human Rights
This week, as U.N. Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, I submitted my annual report to the…
Self-Defense Against Self-Defense, In Syria And Beyond
For many years, the United States and some of its allies have taken the view that one state (say, one of them) may use armed force on the territory of another state (say, Pakistan…
United Kingdom Att’y General’s Speech on International Law and Cyber: Key Highlights
On Wednesday, the United Kingdom’s Attorney General, Jeremy Wright, QC MP, gave a speech at Chatham House on the role of international law in cyberspace. It is the first official…
The Latin American View of Jus ad Bellum
For the past few weeks, Rebecca Ingber, Elvina Pothelet, Priya Pillai and I have been engaged in the task of systematizing State reactions to the April 14 air strikes carried out…
A View from a Syrian International Lawyer: Were the April 14 Strikes Legal?
On April 14, the United States, the United Kingdom and France conducted air strikes in Syria in response to the Syrian government’s alleged use of chemical weapons in Douma.…