Weekend Roundup: July 13-19, 2013

This week on Opinio Juris, we continued our Emerging Voices symposium. Patricia Tarre Moser started the week with her proposal for the unilateral withholding of sovereign immunity as a countermeasure against jus cogens violations. Scott McKenzie wrote on the application of international water law principles to the simmering tension between Egypt and Ethiopia on the latter’s decision to dam the Nile. Daniel Seah wrote about implied conferrals in ASEAN. Tendayi Achiume argued in her post that efforts to combat xenophobia faced by refugees and migrants need to be more aware of the underlying socio-economic conditions. Chelsea Purvis pleaded for more engagement with African human rights law. The Emerging Voices symposium will take a one week break to make space for a symposium on the two lead articles in the latest issue of the American Journal of International Law, starting on Monday.

In a guest post, Ozan Varol argued why the Egyptian military’s ouster of President Morsi was not a democratic coup.

Kevin updated us on the latest twist in Libya’s efforts to avoid handing over Saif to the ICC. At least Crossing Lines is even more confused about the ICC’s jurisdiction, although Kevin admitted to finding this week’s episode quite interesting. Sometimes fiction can teach international lawyers something though, as Chris explored in this post on what political science fiction can bring to international law.

What isn’t science fiction though is the growing market in which hackers sell computer vulnerabilities they have discovered. Chris posted about the sometimes perverse incentives to regulate this market, particularly once governments get involved.

In other posts, Kevin accused the US of applying double standards on the prosecution of money laundering in support of terrorism, and described the Fourth Circuit’s decision in US v Sterling as the most compelling defense of WIkileaks; Ken wrote about the Supreme Court’s upcoming review of Bauman v. DaimlerChrysler, and the questions it raises for extraterritoriality; and Kristen posted about new scholarship on the legal implications of the Syrian conflict.

As always, Jessica provided you with weekday news wraps and we listed events and announcements.  Kevin also announced he is moving to SOAS in early 2014.

Finally, if you like our blog, we’d love for you to nominate us for the ABA’s 7th annual Blawg 100.

Thank you to our guest posters and have a nice weekend!