The Creeping Normality of LOAC Noncompliance

The Creeping Normality of LOAC Noncompliance

The Creeping Normality of LOAC Noncompliance Taking stock of the state of the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) may be one of the most important tasks facing international law today. In that vein, it is well worth asking whether the Law of Armed Conflict is still “fit for...
The Siren Song of Universal Jurisdiction: A Cautionary Note

The Siren Song of Universal Jurisdiction: A Cautionary Note

The Siren Song of Universal Jurisdiction: A Cautionary Note In the face of the humanitarian crises and government abuses in the Syrian Civil War, the German Office of the Federal Prosecutor General initiated prosecution against a number of Syrian officials for a range...
The Law and Character of War in 2035

The Law and Character of War in 2035

The Law and Character of War in 2035 In fall of 2020, the Lieber Institute for Law and Warfare at West Point joined a U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC) multi-year study on the changing character of warfare. The study has convened three times annually since. Its purpose...
Are Mercenaries in Ukraine?

Are Mercenaries in Ukraine?

Are Mercenaries in Ukraine? Reports suggest both Russia and Ukraine are recruiting and supplementing forces in ways that potentially implicate international legal rules related to mercenaries. This post, after surveying media reports of mercenaries in Ukraine,...
Consistency and Change in Russian Approaches to International Law

Consistency and Change in Russian Approaches to International Law

Consistency and Change in Russian Approaches to International Law Recent Russian conduct on the world stage—and less metaphorically, on the territory of Ukraine—has been appalling. Violations of international law (such as acts of aggression and unlawful support for...
The ICJ’s Armed Activities Reparations Judgment: A Brave New World?

The ICJ’s Armed Activities Reparations Judgment: A Brave New World?

The ICJ’s Armed Activities Reparations Judgment: A Brave New World? On February 9, 2022, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rendered its judgment on reparations in the case concerning Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo, between the Democratic...