Explainer: The Israel-Hamas War and the International Criminal Court
The current conflict engulfing Israel and Palestine raises significant issues of international law and policy. This is part one in an anticipated two-part series that will discuss some of the relevant legal questions before the International Criminal Court (ICC; Part I) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ; Part II). With both courts located in [...]
US dispatch: threats of violence loom over pending midterm elections
Justin Lindsay is a US National Correspondent for JURIST, and a 2L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He served 10 years as an Officer in the United States Army. Threats to election safety are rising to a crescendo in the United States. The US “midterms” (called that because they occur between presidential [...]
“…Ukraine is not just a neighbouring country for us. It is an inalienable part of our own history, culture and spiritual space. These are our comrades, those dearest to us – not only colleagues, friends and people who once served together, but also relatives, people bound by blood, family ties.” — Address by the President [...]
Putin Has No “Off-Ramp” For Using Cluster Munitions in Urban Areas
Before February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin had an “off ramp.” He could have withdrawn troops from Russia’s border with Ukraine and slinked away to an island. However, several developments have eliminated the possibility of an “off ramp.” On February 28, 2022, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan announced he opened an investigation into “alleged war [...]
“States shall not take….any measures which may be prejudicial to the international obligations they have assumed in regard to the detection, arrest, extradition and punishment of persons guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.” – Principles of International Cooperation, General Assembly Resolution, 1973 “It’s not surprising that a criminal like Trump pardons other criminals, [...]
El Salvador Supreme Court releases 3 jailed ex-military officers
The Supreme Court of El Salvador on Saturday ordered the release of three ex-military officers who had been jailed for killing six Jesuit priests during the country's civil war. In 1989 a team of about...
Spain judge charges former Basque separatist leaders with crimes against humanity
Judge Juan Pablo Gonzalez of Spain's National Court charged five suspected leaders of the Basque separatist movement Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) Tuesday with crimes against humanity for their participation in the 2004 attacks that left...
Of the 139 states that signed the Rome Statute, 32 have not yet ratified the treaty. According to the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties , a state that has signed but not ratified a treaty is obliged to...
While DOMA has effectively blocked the implementation of same-sex marriage at the federal level, there have been several states that have taken independent legislative and judicial action regarding same-sex marriage. The laws passed at the state level have typically adopted...
