Human Rights Regulation
Marko Milanovic explores how lies by state officers, whether or not in authoritarian regimes or democracies, can represent violations of worldwide human rights, significantly after they have an effect on freedoms of expression, the best to well being, or public participation. He argues that such lies are sometimes integral to and even enough for committing human rights abuses, and that each home and worldwide deception can have critical authorized penalties. Milanovic additionally examines how mendacity throughout human rights proceedings could hinder justice and undermine the credibility and functioning of human rights establishments. Learn the complete submit right here.
Giulia Bosi explores Italy’s latest resolution to allow conjugal jail visits following the 2024 Constitutional Court docket ruling recognizing detainees’ proper to intimacy. The writer notes that this marked a shift towards aligning with European human rights requirements, significantly Article 8 ECHR. Although not mandated below worldwide legislation, such visits are linked to rehabilitation, psychological well being, and jail security. The writer explores Italy’s authorized change, compares it with Council of Europe practices, and highlights worldwide human rights implications and coverage advantages. Learn the complete submit right here.
Ethan Shattock analyzes the controversy surrounding Irish rap group Kneecap’s alleged terrorism-related costs for displaying a Hezbollah flag, inspecting it by means of the lens of Article 10 of the European Conference on Human Rights (ECHR) on freedom of expression. The writer argues that whereas the UK could have a authorized foundation to limit such expression for nationwide safety causes, the group’s satirical and political context weighs closely in favor of defending their provocative inventive speech. In the end, Shattock highlights the strain between safeguarding democratic political expression and stopping incitement linked to proscribed organizations below the ECHR framework. Learn the complete submit right here.
Marko Milanovic examines the complicated relationship between sanctions, worldwide legislation, and the best to growth, arguing that not all coercive measures are inherently illegal or human rights violations. He challenges inflexible authorized binaries and emphasizes the significance of context, proportionality, and justification when assessing whether or not sanctions intrude with particular person or collective rights. Milanovic urges a extra nuanced, balanced strategy—rejecting each blanket condemnations and unquestioning acceptance of sanctions as respectable instruments of statecraft. Learn the complete submit right here.
Worldwide Court docket of Justice (ICJ)
Eugenio Carli analyzes the ICJ’s dismissal of Sudan’s genocide case in opposition to the UAE because of the UAE’s reservation to Article IX of the Genocide Conference, which excludes ICJ jurisdiction. The writer critiques the Court docket’s longstanding apply of upholding such reservations, arguing that they undermine the enforcement of obligations erga omnes partes—these owed to all states events—by disabling judicial accountability. The piece contends that reservations excluding jurisdiction in treaties defending collective pursuits, just like the Genocide Conference, must be thought-about incompatible with the treaty’s object and goal and thus invalid. Learn the complete submit right here.
Andreas Zimmermann examines Serbia’s unexplained intervention try within the ICJ case Sudan v. UAE, noting the Court docket’s uncommon silence in formally addressing or dismissing it—opposite to its constant previous apply. Although Serbia claimed it wasn’t sure by Article IX of the Genocide Conference, this contradicts prior ICJ rulings. The writer argues that, for authorized readability, the ICJ ought to have formally responded to Serbia’s intervention, particularly since previous interventions have been explicitly dismissed, even after the primary case ended. Learn the complete submit right here.
Investor–State Dispute Settlement (ISDS)
Joshua Paine discusses the event of a Multilateral Instrument on ISDS Reform (MIIR) by UNCITRAL Working Group III as a option to apply dispute decision reforms throughout present funding treaties. Paine explores the potential for the MIIR to additionally implement broader substantive reforms, with parallel discussions going down within the OECD’s Monitor 2 course of. Paine emphasizes the significance of designing a versatile and environment friendly MIIR that might enable for incremental adoption by subsets of states and help ongoing treaty reform past the UNCITRAL course of. Learn the complete submit right here.
Humanitarian Support
Julia Emtseva critiques Israel’s alternative of UN humanitarian businesses in Gaza with a non-public basis, the Gaza Humanitarian Basis (GHF), partnered with a non-public safety agency, arguing this privatization undermines worldwide humanitarian legislation ideas of neutrality, impartiality, and state duty. Emtseva highlights authorized and moral considerations, together with potential violations of the Geneva Conventions, the chance of support changing into politicized and weaponized, and the shortage of transparency and accountability. In the end, the textual content warns that this mannequin threatens to erode the authorized protections for civilians in battle, remodeling humanitarian support from a authorized obligation into discretionary, politically managed benevolence. Learn the complete submit right here.
Sources of Worldwide Regulation
Tan Hsien-Li explores how mushy legislation has gained rising legitimacy and affect, particularly amid geopolitical shifts and home constraints in nations just like the U.S. The writer critiques the basic view preferring hard-law over mushy legislation. The writer highlights the Asia-Pacific area’s rising acceptance of sentimental legislation and argues that mushy legislation is just not a second-best different however a deliberate and efficient software for worldwide cooperation and norm-setting. Learn the complete submit right here.
Worldwide Prison Regulation and the Atmosphere
Daniel Bertram explores the Council of Europe’s newly adopted Conference on the Safety of the Atmosphere by means of Prison Regulation (Might 2025), calling it the primary worldwide treaty to criminalize conduct akin to ecocide. Whereas progressive in its breadth and procedural mandates, the Conference stops wanting explicitly criminalizing ecocide, leaving important gaps—resembling weak penalties and reliance on administrative legislation. Bertram argues it represents pragmatic progress however not the symbolic breakthrough many ecocide advocates hoped for. Learn the complete submit right here.
Jérôme de Hemptinne considers whether or not criminalizing ecocide might meaningfully handle the large-scale exploitation and killing of animals. The writer concludes that present worldwide crimes, resembling genocide, crimes in opposition to humanity, or conflict crimes, are ill-suited to guard animals, as they’re primarily designed to safeguard human pursuits. Due to this fact, an ecocide framework might extra straight goal the systemic destruction of ecosystems and mass hurt to animal populations. Learn the complete submit right here.
Worldwide Prison Regulation
Patrycja Grzebyk addresses widespread misconceptions in regards to the upcoming overview of the Kampala Amendments on the crime of aggression on the Worldwide Prison Court docket. Grzebyk argues in favor of harmonizing the Court docket’s jurisdiction over aggression with that of different core crimes, clarifying that the overview course of is longstanding, not politically focused, and legally sound. The writer dispels seven particular myths, emphasizing that reform is each crucial and possible regardless of political, procedural, and institutional challenges. Learn the complete submit right here.
Treaty Regulation
Ayelet Berman and Indira Dewi Kantiana clarify the brand new WHO Pandemic Settlement, created to enhance world pandemic response by emphasizing fairness and solidarity between nations. The authors argue that the brand new settlement marks a serious authorized milestone however has restricted enforcement and unresolved points, like honest pathogen sharing. The authors additional argue that regardless of its promise, the settlement’s actual impression is unsure, particularly with out U.S. involvement. Learn the complete submit right here.
Diplomacy and Worldwide Regulation
Parthiban Babu argues that states use strategic authorized storytelling—“delegation diplomacy”—to form worldwide legislation narratives and assert legitimacy, as seen in India’s post-2025 Kashmir assault efforts. This narrative flip reveals how authorized that means is constructed by means of efficiency, venue choice, and selective framing, usually reflecting energy imbalances that favor dominant actors. Whereas such storytelling can advance political goals, it dangers turning legislation right into a software of persuasion somewhat than real accountability, marginalizing dissenting voices. Learn the complete submit right here.
The Legality of Utilizing Drive
Marko Milanovic examines whether or not Israel’s latest use of pressure in opposition to Iran, concentrating on its nuclear program could be justified as lawful self-defense below worldwide legislation. Inspecting the formulations of the dialogue, Milanovic concludes that: “except Israel is ready to present considerably extra compelling proof than is at the moment publicly obtainable, it can’t moderately be argued that Iran would imminently assault Israel, or that utilizing pressure was the one choice to cease that assault. Israel is due to this fact utilizing pressure in opposition to Iran unlawfully, in violation of Article 2(4) of the Constitution. It’s committing aggression.” Learn the complete submit right here.
Take heed to EJIL: The Podcast! Episode 34: Within the Household: Household Tropes in Worldwide Regulation right here.
See EJIL’s “Roll of Honour” right here.
