As I mentioned recently, the Bush Administration has long had a reputation for disdaining treaties. And, there’s some pretty substantial anecdotal evidence to back up that perception: e.g., withdrawing from the ABM treaty, dissing the Kyoto Protocol, announcing an intention not to ratify the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court, not to mention its more recent efforts...
As mentioned yesterday, my colleague Naomi Goodno has just returned from Kenya where she was training Kenyan, Ugandan, and Zambian lawyers with the human rights organization International Justice Mission. IJM is an unusual among human rights organization in that it focuses on partnering with attorneys in countries throughout the world to help enforce human rights norms reflected in domestic...
The chance for major immigration reform during this session of Congress has apparently passed, according to this Reuters item here and an editorial in yesterday’s Times. Although I teach and write in immigration law, I have found this year’s high-profile debate on the subject pretty unedifying. This is in part because it has been mostly about politics rather...
On Wednesday, U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Louise Arbour warned of criminal responsibility that may arise from the war in the Middle East (HT: Dave Hoffman at Concurring Opinions). Here is the key language from her statement: The High Commissioner recalled that parties to a conflict have the obligation to exercise precaution and respect the principle of proportionality in all...
The FDA has approved the import of one Spanish firm's version of Jamon Iberico Bellota, a cured ham which according to this blog makes prosciutto "taste like shoe leather." (Don't expect to see it at your local supermarket, though; at $79 a pound, it's a little on the pricey side.) (Hat tip: Megnut.) Why is the U.S. Government so unwilling...
My colleague Professor Naomi Goodno just returned from Kenya where she working with staff attorneys at the human rights organization, International Justice Mission. She was training Kenyan, Ugandan, and Zambian lawyers in oral advocacy skills to enhance their human rights litigation work on the ground in Africa. I wanted to post two experiences she had in Kenya this...
Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio was one of U.S. U.N. Ambassador John Bolton's biggest opponents during his failed nomination to the Senate last year. Voinovich has now publicly changed his position and is basically inviting the President to renominate Bolton for the rest of his term (Bolton's recess appointment expires this fall). Here's why: For me or my colleagues in...
One of the best things to happen to the international law academy in recent years is the introduction of methodological insights from other parts of the academy. Professors Jack Goldsmith and Eric Posner, for instance, introduced a long overdue application of rational choice theory to international law in their recent book "The Limits of International Law." ...
In response to the book, Does Human Rights Need God, there is an interesting discussion over at Mirror of Justice (see here, here, and here) about the source of international human rights. As excerpted in this post, Robert George argues that “Most, but not all, natural law theorists are theists. They believe that the moral order, like every other...
Kevin earlier today asked about the extraterritorial reach of human rights treaties. But, what about U.S. statutes – how far do they reach? What exactly constitutes an extraterritorial application of U.S. law? On July 6, the Ninth Circuit addressed this issue in Pakootas v. Teck Cominco Metals, Ltd. (see here). The Ninth Circuit ruled that “slag” metal discharges from Teck...
Like you, I am good friends with millionaires living in Nigeria. If only I would renew my contact with them I could continue my business relationship and secure the millions that I am due as part of the partnership. I have been negligent in giving them my bank details to assist with the bank transfer, but for some...
The U.S. appeared before the UN Human Rights Committee on Monday — its first appearance since 1995 — to report on its implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Notably, Matthew Waxman, Principal Deputy Director for Policy Planning at the State Department reiterated the U.S. view that the ICCPR does not apply extraterritorially and thus...
