Sovereignty In The Exercise Of The Right To Self Determination

In Sovereignty in the Exercise of the Right to Self-Determination Jane Hofbauer explores to what extent (indigenous) peoples can be designated as sovereign entities through the exercise of different tiers of self-determination.

The case of Quebec within Canada, and the Supreme Court of Canada's case on the legality of secessionist attempts by Quebec, is one example of the tension associated with the relationship between self-determination and a right of secession. The object of the book is to render available to the international community the expert opinions and legal arguments associated with the Supreme Court of Canada's decision on the Quebec Secession Reference. The questions put to the Court in large part concerned international law, leading the parties to the Reference to seek opinions from international law experts around the world as they prepared their arguments which are presented in this book. Self-determination is an idea rooted in human dignity and its meaning and force parallel the emergence of new understandings of the nature of sovereignty and the role of international law in the protection of human rights. The UN Human Rights Committee has identified self-determination as one of the most awkward principles to define because abuse of this right could jeopardize international peace and security. Self-determination, as formulated by the International Court of Justice, requires a free and genuine expression of the will of the peoples concerned. But serious questions remain about the extent of the relationship between self-determination and a right of secession. Does self-determination legitimate internal self-government, association of some kind with another state, or statehood, and in what contexts?

The right of peoples to self-determination seems well-settled and covered extensively in the scholarly record. Yet old Trotsky’s question – of whom is this right and to what? – haunts the self-determination literature. Somehow almost every work on it begins with an expression of puzzlement. This right turns out to be elusive, underdefined in its scope and content, paradoxical in almost every aspect. This book mobilises all powers of critical legal theory and modern philosophy to take the bull by its horns. Instead of ironing out the paradoxes, it aims to finally give them a proper explanation based on the concept of exception.

Presents the legal cases for self-determination in East Timor, Kosovo, Chechnya, Georgia (South Ossetia and Abkhazia) and in South Sudan.

In analysing the contemporary International Law principles as to Self-determination of Peoples, Dr. Edward McWhinney gives a special attention to the crisis of multinational states. A special concluding chapter draws on the empirical record of the historical, often trial-and-error experience of the Succession states to the Versailles treaties settlements and to the assorted acts of Decolonisation of the former European Imperial, Colonial powers.

Study of the legal aspects of self-determination and of the role of UN practices and policies regarding access to independence and Statehood of former colonies and trust territories - appraises the competence of the UN organs in various situations (incl. Conflict situations), examines the procedures used by the UN to attain political participation of indigenous peoples for the purpose of self-determination (plebiscites, etc.), and covers international law applications, etc. Bibliography pp. 373 to 388.

The right of self-determination affects many areas of international law, from sovereignty over territory and human rights to decisions on the recognition of new States and the succession of States to treaties. It also has an impact on many approaches to understanding the nature of international law and international society. This volume sets out some of the methods by which authors have dealt with the right of self-determination and provides illustrations of the applications of the right to a variety of situations.