Special Tribunal for Lebanon at the Hague

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon began Sunday at the Hague in the Netherlands to try suspects responsible for the car bomb blast four years ago in Beirut that killed the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others. The international hybrid tribunal will apply domestic Lebanese criminal law, subject to two exceptions for permissible […]

United Nations Courts and Tribunals

The following courts and tribunals detailed on this page are either administered by or have an operational relationship with the United Nations:

Guantanamo: What Fate Awaits 17 Detainees Cleared of Terrorism Charges?

Yesterday, a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. reversed a lower court ruling that would have immediately transferred and released into the United States 17 detainees who have been cleared of terrorism charges after seven years of detention at the Guantanamo military base. In Kiyemba v. Obama, the court asserted that the detainees have a […]

The International Criminal Court in a New Era with ICC President Philippe Kirsch and Judge Patricia Wald

Last Friday, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Philippe Kirsch, President of the International Criminal Court, and Judge Patricia Wald, former Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, spoke on the future of the ICC and the upcoming review conference of the Rome Statute. The following provides a summary of what Mr. […]

Call for Papers: British Institute of International and Comparative Law Annual Conference

The 2009 Annual Conference of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law will be held on Friday, 5 June 2009 in London. The theme of the conference is “Business and International Law.” This Call for Papers is for new scholars to submit a proposal for a paper to be delivered at the conference. It […]

Violence Against Women in Conflict and the Effect of International Law

Mercedeh Momeni, an international law attorney and women’s rights advocate, shared her thoughts on combating violence against women and the effect of international law at a luncheon attended by roughly 50 people. The luncheon was sponsored by the United Nations Association in Washington, D.C. and the Africa Interest Group of the Young Professionals for International […]

Accountability of Civilian Contractors in the U.S. Justice and Police Civilian Response Corps for International Crises

The U.S. Department of State seeks to establish a funding mechanism under its auspices for a permanent “Civilian Response Corps,” staffed by a core of federal employees and a reserve of civilian experts. These specialists would deploy to the world’s hot spots of low-intensity armed conflicts and post-conflict situations to provide police, corrections, criminal justice, […]

Inaugural Oath: Is Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution Symbolic or Legally Significant?

Yesterday, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts erred in delivering the constitutionally prescribed oath of office to President-elect Barack Obama. In an apparent effort to avoid public offense to the Chief Justice, Obama repeated the incorrect phrasing. The 35-word oath is the only sentence given in quotes in the U.S. Constitution. Just last week, […]

Institutional Mechanisms to Prevent Mass-Scale Atrocities with U.S. Ambassador Williamson

On Thursday, at an event sponsored by the American Society of International Law, U.S. Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues Clint Williamson identified four ways that governments can marshal efforts and resources to prevent mass-scale atrocities. He intends these efforts to strengthen institutional capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to potential crises. Amb. Williamson […]

Flying the U.S. Flag: Freedom of Speech and Private Contracts

Today, July 4th, is one of the rare days that I am allowed to fly the flag. Last month, ironically two days before national Flag Day in the United States, I received a notice from my condominium homeowners association prohibiting residents from displaying the U.S. flag from the exterior of our homes except on a […]