One of the most important Alien Tort Statute cases has begun in California that will test the scope of corporate liability under international law. The facts are hotly disputed but either version is truly bizarre. Over 100 Nigerians seize a Chevron oil platform on May 25, 1998. Plaintiffs argue that it was a peaceful nonviolent act of...
I have been a big fan of Andrew Sullivan's writing for a couple of decades (since his TNR days), and have read his blog pretty regularly for the past four years. He has an interesting essay up at The Atlantic's newly redesigned site, "Why I Blog." From the intro: This form of instant and global self-publishing, made possible by technology widely...
For interested readers, our friend and colleague Bobby Ahdieh sends along the following information about fellowships with the Princeton University Program in Law and Public Affairs. The fellows program has typically hosted at least one or two public international law scholars (several of them are OJ alums!). Past fellows rave about the experience -- the time to focus on a...
The Lubanga fiasco continues. Earlier today, the Appeals Chamber upheld the Trial Chamber's indefinite stay of the proceedings, but refused to order his immediate release, instead remanding the case to the Trial Chamber for further consideration of the issue. I have not had a chance to read the two -- typically lengthy -- decisions in any great detail, but these are...
Paul Kennedy, distinguished Yale historian and author of many works, including most recently his history of the United Nations, The Parliament of Man, had a striking opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal on October 17, 2008, "Weak States and Scofflaws Have No Business on the Security Council." At issue was which countries would take up the rotating memberships on...
John Bellinger has been legal adviser to the State Department for the past four years. In this speech to the International Law Weekend (October 17, 2008), he offers some reflections on his experience. (We here at OJ were privileged to have John guest blog here in a unique and highly successful experiment in 'blogging with the Legal Adviser'.) I excerpt...
Hope springs eternal in the Sudan -- at least on the part of the government. Apparently, Khartoum has managed to convince itself that the Pre-Trial Chamber's recent request for additional information concerning the charges against Bashir means that it intends to dismiss those charges: The Sudanese government hailed a decision by the judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) requesting more...
While I am on the subject of relatively new blogs, I have to confess that I've been remiss in plugging one of my favorites, wronging rights, the product of the brilliant and fiendish minds of Amanda Taub and Kate Cronin-Furman. (For their "self-descriptions," see here.) I stand behind my description of the blog that they have kindly quoted on their...
Anyone interested in genocide issues would do well to check out the (relatively) new Stop Genocide Blog, a solo effort by the mysterious Michelle F. that is part of change.org's blog network. It's wonderfully written and follows Darfur, the DRC, and other situations much more closely than I do here. Check it out!...
That's the situation with the Sudanese government's latest contribution to the "peace" process: The United States, Darfuri rebels and Sudanese opposition parties have greeted a new initiative to solve the Darfur crisis with scepticism and boycotts, while Khartoum, the Arab League and the UN say it’s the region’s best hope. Widespread doubts about the credibility of the process prevail ahead of deliberations...
For the last several years, I have been watching with fascination and admiration as my friend and Washington College of Law colleague, Daniel Bradlow, has been developing more or less from scratch an innovative tool in development finance for his native South Africa, what he has titled "Reconciliation and Development Bonds." Professor Bradlow heads the international legal studies program at...
I apologize for arriving late to the party; I have only just had a chance to read Professor Ring's fascinating article completely through. There are many reasons why I would come to this article already predisposed to like it - I started out life as an international tax lawyer, for example, and I am also an unapologetic defender within the...
