In association with the International Commission of Jurists

Author: Jessica Dorsey

11 Jun

A four-member delegation from the ICC in Libya, who went to meet with Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, has been detained by Libyan authorities after one of the lawyers, Melinda Taylor, was found allegedly carrying suspicious documents. Syrian government forces renewed their attacks on Homs, killing at least 35. Protesters in Chile rallied against a documentary honoring Augusto Pinochet. The world's newest country, South Sudan, struggles to...

|
10 Jun

Calls for Papers The American Society of International Law is looking for panel and paper proposals for its 2013 Annual Meeting, International Law in a Multipolar World. Submissions should be in before June 22, 2012. The Australian Journal of International Law has issued a call for articles, case notes and book reviews for its 2012 Annual Volume. Deadline for submissions is June...

|
08 Jun

In our pursuit to make Opinio Juris more accessible to our readers, we are now offering the option of reading the blog on your Kindle device through Kindle Publishing. Kindle blogs are auto-delivered wirelessly to your device so you can stay up-to-date throughout the day. You can find the link to subscribe here. You will receive a 14-day free trial when you initially subscribe, and...

|
08 Jun

UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay has argued that US drone strikes in Pakistan raises legal questions. China has promised "sincere and selfless" help to Afghanistan, committing to increasing aid, investment and security cooperation. In other news about China, it has also introduced new legislation to restrict internet use. Sudan and South Sudan have called off their peace talks with no deal in sight. Sudanese...

|
07 Jun

The brother of Abu Yahya al-Libi (the militant allegedly killed by a drone strike earlier this week), claims that the US’ drone program is inhumane and makes a mockery of the US claims of upholding human rights standards. IPS offers an opinion piece about how drones fire both ways. In what could have been retaliation for the killing of Abu Yahya...

|
06 Jun

More news in targeted strikes, complementing our book symposium this week: US officials claim that Abu Yahyi al-Libi, a high-level al-Qaeda militant, was killed in a CIA drone strike in northern Pakistan yesterday, despite Pakistan’s urging the US to stop the targeted killing program. A strike in Afghanistan aimed at a top-level official killed him as well as six Taliban fighters...

|
05 Jun

More today about targeted killing, to complement our book symposia: The US’ targeting of senior al-Qaeda leaders is straining relations with Pakistan, and Pakistan has condemned the most recent US drone strikes. Foreign Policy offers a look at the top Pakistani diplomat charged with renewing a good rapport with the US. The G7 will hold emergency talks about the Eurozone today. Talks...

|
04 Jun

Perhaps as a good primer to our upcoming book discussion this week, a few drone-related news items: Despite Pakistan's requests to the US to stop the program, the third drone strike in Pakistan in as many days has taken its toll on new victims; irrespective of the method of civilian or combatant counting, there are at least 27 dead. The Washington Post...

|
01 Jun

Syria has claimed that anti-government forces carried out the massacre in Houla in order to spur other nations into intervening. The UN and other nations have expressed concern that Syria is on the brink of a sectarian civil war. Russia and the US have been trading accusations about the situation in Syria. Anne-Marie Slaughter at FP posits that Syria is not a problem from hell...

|
31 May

BBC has a video report of another poison attack in Afghanistan girls' school rooms, allegedly carried out by the Taliban. A Yemeni Nobel laureate claims the US drone strikes in her country are ineffective as they are hitting mainly civilians rather than militants. The Washington Post also reported that the drone strikes were sparking anger and creating more sympathy for al-Qaeda...

|
30 May

The Special Court for Sierra Leone sentenced Charles Taylor to 50 years today following his conviction for 11 counts of war crimes. He will get six-years' credit for the time he has served since being in custody in The Hague. The ICC Appeals Chamber has unanimously rejected the Prosecution's appeal on the Pre-Trial Chamber I's decision declining to confirm the charges...

|
29 May

The current ICC Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has been nominated by FIFA to head an ethics investigation into the organization's match-fixing and corruption issues. Charles Taylor will be sentenced tomorrow in The Hague. You can watch the sentencing live with links provided on the Court’s website. Also in The Hague tomorrow, the ICC will release the judgment on the Prosecution's appeal in the...

|