Countermeasures The International Legal System And Environmental Violations

In an anarchical society of independent states, unilateral measures play an important role. Fortunately, this does not mean that most states act unilaterally most of the time; on the contrary, cooperation is the key word in most areas of international relations and international law. However, in the absence of a comprehensive judicial system or effective enforcement system, states have and will continue to take unilateral measures to enforce law and policies. Sometimes these measures only claim to legality is the application of the countermeasures doctrine. This landmark book by Dr. Hjrtur Bragi Sverrisson, the Head of Legal Affairs at EEA Grants, a development fund within the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), examines the law of countermeasures in the context of violations of international legal environmental obligations of states. It reviews the source of authority of states, namely, sovereignty, its interaction with the notion of international law, and the limitation of the latter. An in-depth review of the doctrine of countermeasures follows, by presenting, contrasting, and critically analyzing the views of the classical masters, as well as contemporary authors and other authoritative sources. The book puts the theories into context by presenting seven cases of states use, or threat of use, of unilateral remedies to protect environmental interests. One must remember that frustration, domestic politics, sovereign identity, and the need to show resolve not only are all a recipe for unlawful countermeasures, but also are often the underlying cause for such measures. Therefore, the environment for a solid and politically detached legal analysis regarding the flora of permissiblemeasures might not be the most favorable. However, the decision to take countermeasures cannot be a spontaneous one; it has to be meticulously analyzed, and proper steps have to be taken before such measures are used. Only then can the countermeasures doctrine form the basis for a legal and legitimate unilateral enforcement of international law. By shedding a light on this labyrinth, this book provides guidance for scholars and students, private actors, and policy makers, as well as legal advisers to governments.

Clearly and accessibly written, this new text provides a valuable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students of international law and covers subjects including the history, theories and sources of international law, as well as current areas of interest such as international criminal law.

This book adopts a 'trans-civilizational' perspective on the history and development of current West-centric international law.

Every State has an obligation to prevent terrorist attacks emanating from its territory. This proposition stems from various multilateral agreements and UN Security Council resolutions. This study exhaustively addresses the scope of this obligation of prevention and the legal consequences flowing from its violation, so as to provide greater clarity on governments' counterterrorism duties and to enhance State accountability for preventable wrongs. It defines the contents and contours of the obligation while placing critical emphasis on the mechanics of State responsibility. Whether obscured by new technologies like the Internet, the sophisticated cellular structure of some terrorist organisations or convoluted political realities, the level of governmental involvement in terrorist activities is no longer readily discernible in every instance. Furthermore, the prospect of governments waging surrogate warfare through proxies also poses intractable challenges to the mechanism of attribution in the context of State responsibility. This monograph sets out the shortcomings of the extant scheme of State responsibility while identifying a paradigm shift towards more indirect modes of accountability under international law, a trend corroborated by recent State and institutional practice. Drawing on varied legal and theoretical influences, the study devises and prescriptively argues for the implementation of a strict liability-inspired model grounded in the logic of indirect responsibility with a view to enhancing State compliance with counterterrorism obligations. This shifts the policy focus squarely to prevention, while promoting multilateralism and transnational cooperation. Ultimately, the legal and policy sensibilities underlying the book converge into a new theory of prevention in counterterrorism contexts. From the Foreword by Judge Bruno Simma, International Court of Justice "Even if one might disagree with the bases on which the author constructs his argument, the execution of the argument is solid and thorough. The coverage of the major policy arguments and the available legal source materials is equally impressive. Moreover, the author's positions are genuinely progressive and present a fairly innovative solution, in the form of a strict liability mechanism...It behoves all scholars and practitioners of international law with an interest in combating international terrorism to consider the proposals outlined in this book." Transnational Terrorism and State Accountability by Vincent-Joël Proulx has been awarded the 2014 Myres McDougal Prize for best book in Law, Science, and Policy from the Society of Policy Scientists.

UN organs play a significant role in implementing the law of state responsibility in global security contexts. This book analyses how the ICJ, the General Assembly and the Security Council contribute to the implementation of the laws of State responsibility, using transnational terrorism as its principal case study.

The issue features articles on new ideas in enforcing international law, and on the role of incentives and disincentives under the idea of limited government. Contributors include the noted scholars Oona Hathaway, Scott J. Shapiro, Benjamin Ewing, and Douglas A. Kysar. The issue also features student contributions on sentencing guidelines and the historical argument for Presidential war powers. Contents for the Nov. 2011 issue (number 2) include: • "Outcasting: Enforcement in Domestic and International Law," by Oona Hathaway & Scott J. Shapiro • "Prods and Pleas: Limited Government in an Era of Unlimited Harm," by Benjamin Ewing & Douglas A. Kysar • Note, "Baseline Framing in Sentencing," by Daniel M. Isaacs • Comment, "The Anti-Federalists and Presidential War Powers," by Cameron O. Kistler

International investment law today consists of a network of multifaceted, multilayered international treaties that, in one way or another, involve virtually every country of the world. The evolution of this network raises a host of issues regarding international investment law and policy, especially in the area of international investment disputes.The Yearbook on International Investment Law & Policy 2013-2014 monitors current developments in international investment law and policy, focusing on recent trends and issues in foreign direct investment (FDI). With contributions by leading experts in the field, this title provides timely, authoritative information on FDI that can be used by a wide audience, including practitioners, academics, researchers, and policy makers. The 2013-2014 Yearbook begins with trends in international investment and the activities of multinational enterprises, a review of trends and new approaches in international investment agreements for 2013-2014, and a review of international investment law and arbitration for 2013. This edition contains a sample of the research and ideas generated by the Investment Treaty Forum at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law--The Investment Treaty Forum brings together experts in international investment law to engage in high-level debate about salient topics in investment law. This edition covers many important topics, such as the principle of proportionality and the problem of indeterminacy in international investment treaties; proportionality, reasonableness and standards of review in investment treaty arbitration; and the role of investors' legitimate expectations in defense of investment treaty claims. The general articles included in this volume provide analysis of balancing investor protection and regulatory freedom in international investment law. The jurisprudential interaction between ICSID tribunals and the International Court of Justice are also discussed, along with inconsistencies in investor-state awards, the role of state interpretations; old and new ways for host states to defend against investment arbitrations, and approaches and analogies in the countermeasures defense in investor-state disputes. This volume explores the political economy of crises and the international law of necessity after the great recession. In addition to this are articles on minilateral treaty-making and bilateral investment treaties; investment promotion, agencies; the trend toward open contracting; and new regulations on foreign acquisitions of land in Brazil and Argentina. This volume concludes with the winning memorials from the 2013 FDI International Moot Competition.