The Democratizing Force of International Law

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neha Jain
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
International Law ◽  
International Community ◽  
The State ◽  
Constitutional Rights ◽  
Legal Norms ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
The Status ◽  
Indian Supreme Court

This chapter argues that international law has served as a useful tool for the Indian Supreme Court in fulfilling aims that have little to do with the court’s purported status as an organ of the international community. Rather, the Supreme Court has appropriated international legal norms to pursue primarily domestic goals. This chapter proceeds as follows. Section II gives an overview of the status of international law in the Indian constitutional scheme. Section III analyzes the creative uses of international law by the Indian Supreme Court to fill in and add to the content of constitutional rights and guarantees, enabling its encroachment into domains that are normally the prerogative of the legislature and the executive. Section IV puts forward a possible explanation for this appropriation of international legal norms and suggests that international law has performed a legitimizing function in the Supreme Court’s articulation of its vision of the state.

The Status in Nigeria of Treaties Predating the 1979 Constitution: Reflections on JFS v. Brawal Line Ltd

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 335-359
Author(s):  
Amos Osaigbovo Enabulele ◽  
Faith Osama Osadolor
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
International Law ◽  
Separation Of Powers ◽  
The State ◽  
Essential Ingredient ◽  
Turn On ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
The Status ◽  
Municipal Law ◽  
Legislative Approval

Abstract It is an essential ingredient of sovereignty that every State has an absolute jurisdiction to determine the laws that apply within its territory and to determine, by its laws, the organ of the State that has the competence to make laws and the procedures to be followed. The competent organ that makes municipal law (the legislature) is usually different from the organ that makes international law (the executive). As a result, and following the dictates of separation of powers, while the executive is competent to enter into treaties, its competence is eroded by the competence of the legislature when a treaty is intended to be applied to municipal subjects; such a treaty intrudes into the competence of the legislature. When this occurs, the municipal applicability of the treaty would turn on the requirements specified by municipal law. This is the function of section 12(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). This section bars the executive from transforming its treaty-making power into legislative powers by requiring legislative approval for the application of a treaty in Nigeria. Expectedly, the section has been variously interpreted and applied by Nigerian courts. This paper examines the views expressed by the Supreme Court in JFS v. Brawal Line Ltd and argues that the Supreme Court failed to give proper expression to the dualist nature of that section.

The Problems and Promise of Spraytech v. Hudson

2002 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 371-385
Author(s):  
Gibran van Ert
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
International Law ◽  
Precautionary Principle ◽  
Supreme Court Of Canada ◽  
The Precautionary Principle ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
The Status

SummaryIn Spraytech v. Hudson, the Supreme Court of Canada made a bold declaration on the status of the precautionary principle in international law. While the methodology of the majority is open to criticism, the judgment is a welcome clarification of the court’s groundbreaking decision in Baker v. Canada and, building on that case, offers the prospect of a truly internationalized Canadian jurisprudence. In a postscript to this comment, the judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada in Suresh v. Canada is briefly considered.

The Status of the Bihari Community in Bangladesh under Domestic and International Law

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 664-678
Author(s):  
Md. Kamrul Hasan Arif
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
International Law ◽  
Country Of Origin ◽  
International Organisations ◽  
Citizenship Status ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
The Status ◽  
Different Parts

The problems concerning the Bihari community is one of the oldest long-standing issues between Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 1971, after the independence of Bangladesh, the Bihari lost their citizenship. Presently, they are stateless and living in various camps in different parts of Bangladesh. This community wanted to be repatriated to their own country, Pakistan, but it denied them citizenship status, although a large number have been repatriated to Pakistan as their country of origin. Recently, in March 2015 the Supreme Court of Pakistan rejected the issue of stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh regarding repatriation or taking these people back. This article has tried to determine the status of the Bihari community, what a lasting solution might be, and what the role is of international organisations in helping this community under domestic and international law.

scholarly journals Ahani v. Canada: A Persuasive Dialogue within the Courts

Refuge ◽  
2003 ◽  
pp. 120-129
Author(s):  
Adrian Di Giovanni
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
International Law ◽  
Canadian Law ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
The Status ◽  
Peremptory Norms

This paper is a comment on Ahani v. Canada (OCA). Canadian courts are presently involved in a dialogue over the role of international law domestically. The courts’ own grappling with various norms of international law, however, has helped to clarify and reinforce the status of these norms. In Baker v. Canada, the Supreme Court gave a new prominence to the “persuasive approach” of applying international law. Ahani demonstrates that while the persuasive approach has begun to be internalized into Canadian law, the courts are still at odds with how persuasive international law should be. To complicate this account, the Supreme Court’s discussion in Suresh of peremptory norms of international law demonstrates that an over-emphasis on the “persuasive” approach can in fact weaken the role of international law domestically. At the same time, the dialogue within the courts is linked to a much more general dialogue. The importance of cases such as Ahani ultimately stretches beyond the domestic context.

Domesticating Treaties in the Legal System of South Sudan – A Monist or Dualist Approach?

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 378-400
Author(s):  
Ruben S. P. Valfredo
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
International Law ◽  
Legal System ◽  
South Sudan ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Treaty Ratification ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
The Status ◽  
Mixed Approach ◽  
International Conventions

This article examines the approach for the domestication of treaties in South Sudan. Such examination is undergone in light of the theories for the domestication of international law norms into the domestic legal systems of state members of the international community. The article establishes that the approach in South Sudan is not clearly indicated, and seems to be inconsistent with regard to the practice of various institutions linked to the domestication of treaties process in South Sudan. However, the article expands on two foundations: the status quo and the ‘ought to be’ approach. The article argues that the approach as it exists seems to be a monist rather than a dualist approach. This is evident from the indicators of South Sudan's constitutional, legislative and judicial settings such as the text of the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan 2011, the treaty ratification process, the practices of the National Legislative Assembly in respect of international conventions and a judicial circular issued by the Supreme Court of South Sudan. Furthermore, the article advances that the ‘as ought to exist’ approach needs to be a clearly mixed approach, partly monist and partly dualist. Such approach combines the advantages associated with each approach in one place. The article recommends that there is a need to have a well informed, well established and clear status in respect of the domestication approach guided by the various arrangements and settings highlighted above. It may also take account of the various states’ attitudes towards international law and the legal school of thought which forms the basis of South Sudan legal system. Such recommendation could be materialised via an act of parliament, a regulation or a practice manual.

The Status of Non-Implemented EEA Law in Iceland: Lessons from the Judicial Reactions of the Supreme Court to International Law

2011 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-458
Author(s):  
Ólafur Ísberg Hannesson
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
International Law ◽  
Direct Effect ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
European Convention ◽  
Trade Association ◽  
European Economic Area ◽  
European Free Trade Association ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
The Status

AbstractIn October 2007, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Court confirmed that the doctrines of direct effect and primacy could not be generated by the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement alone. Rather, the effects of non-implemented EEA provisions were to remain in the hands of the EFTA States. Hence, the relevant question is what weight should be accorded to such norms in domestic law? The Icelandic Supreme Court has yet to take a stance on the direct effect question relation to incorrectly or insufficiently transposed EEA law. The issue has, however, been addressed several times in connection with the European Convention on Human Rights, before its incorporation. In order to address the unclear legal status of EEA norms in Icelandic law, this contribution takes a closer look at the judicial attitude of the Supreme Court taken towards international law in general and the Convention in particular. The perceived differences between EEA law and the Convention have made it easy for observers to dismiss such comparison on the grounds that the two kinds of legal regime are not readily comparable. The article questions these apparent differences by pointing out that EEA law in fact shares all of the features of the Convention that led judges to enforce it in the Icelandic legal order.

scholarly journals KEWENANGAN MAHKAMAH AGUNG REPUBLIK INDONESIA DALAM PEMBUATAN PERATURAN TENTANG PERMOHONAN PERNYATAAN PAILIT MELALUI SURAT EDARAN (BELEIDSREGELS) DITINJAU DARI SUDUT ILMU PERUNDANG-UNDANGAN

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 646
Author(s):  
Samuel Tirta Handoyo ◽  
Cut Memi
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
The State ◽  
Legal Research ◽  
Government Action ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
Circular Letter ◽  
The Status

One important element of the rule of law is that any government action must be based on law. The consequence is that laws must be made, implemented and enforced. Therefore, the state has the power to make laws to regulate all its activities. The Supreme Court as one of the highest judicial institutions in Indonesia has the status of all the courts and as the highest court for the four judicial institutions. The regulating and oversight functions are part of the functions of the Supreme Court, where the Supreme Court is authorized to issue further regulations in the form of Supreme Court Regulations and Supreme Court Circular Letters, where Supreme Court Regulations are regulating, whereas Supreme Court Circular Letters are as policy regulations. However, in practice the substance of the Supreme Court Circular is often not in accordance with its requirements, namely as a policy regulation. One of them is the Supreme Court Circular Letter Number 2 Year 2016 concerning Increasing Efficiency and Transparency in Handling Bankruptcy Cases and Delaying Obligations of Debt Payment in Courts. The writing of this thesis will discuss the authority of the Supreme Court in determining the substance of the Supreme Court Circular Number 2 of 2016 in terms of statutory knowledge. Judging from its nature, the research used is descriptive analysis using normative legal research.

The diminishing status of international law in the decisions of the Israeli Supreme Court concerning the Occupied Territories

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamar Hostovsky Brandes
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
International Law ◽  
Administrative Law ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
The Status ◽  
Occupied Territories ◽  
The Government ◽  
Israeli Supreme Court ◽  
Governing Law

Abstract This article examines the attitude of the Supreme Court of Israel towards international law in the past decade, focusing on cases concerning the Occupied Territories. It compares the decisions of the past decade to those of the preceding decade, which were characterized as developing a “jurisprudence inspired by international law.” The article argues that the status of international law in decisions that regard the Occupied Territories has, overall, declined. While the international law of occupation still operates, officially, as the governing law in the Occupied Territories, the emphasis on compliance with the norms of international law in the Court’s decisions has decreased. Instead of relying on international law, the Court has increased its reliance on Israeli administrative law, and, in recent years, on Israeli constitutional law. As a result, the distinction between the Occupied Territories and Israel is blurred. The article argues that this shift is consistent with a deliberate eradication of the distinction between Israel and the Occupied Territories by the legislator and the government. While the article does not argue that the Court intentionally supports this eradication, it does argue that it facilitates it.

Has Gault Changed the Juvenile Court Concept?

1970 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfred D. Noyes
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
Juvenile Court ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
The State ◽  
Constitutional Rights ◽  
Juvenile Courts ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
The Right ◽  
The U.S

The 1967 decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the Gault case, which extended certain constitutional rights to children appear ing in juvenile courts for alleged delinquency, has influenced some courts to adopt criminal court procedures, with prosecutors appearing in behalf of the state. The Supreme Court appears to have rejected the principle that the right of a child is not to liberty but to custody.

scholarly journals Transgender Community in Pakistan: From Marginalized “aliens/others” to Empowered “Citizens”?

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-42
Author(s):  
Saad Ali Khan
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
The State ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
The Past ◽  
State And Society ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
The Status

Almost a decade ago in 2009, a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan set the trajectory for transgender community’s future. This was considered as the first step that ignited a new spirit among the transgender community in Pakistan; and they started actively pursuing the struggle for their fundamental rights. Transgender community in Pakistan has been marginalized since the inception of Pakistan. In Pakistan, transgender individuals have been pushed to the margins/peripheries of the society facing extreme levels of discrimination, rejection, stigmatization, violence and “otherness”. For years, both state and society have considered these individuals and their communities as “others”, “abnormal” or “threat to the structure of the society”. Faced with these conditions, the transgender community also passively withdrew from the mainstream and accepted this as their fate. This article is aimed to explore and analyze the transition in the status and condition of transgender community in the last decade (2009-2019). It is also aimed to highlight the role of transgender community and other actors in bringing about the change in their status. Reviewing the last decade of activism led by the transgender community and other actors; it is demonstrated in this article that the transgender community has gained momentous/historic achievements (especially legal) since then. From extreme marginalization and stigmatization: they have started to earn respected status in the society. While in the past they were considered as “outcastes” and “others” by the society and state alike, now, they are mostly considered as an integral part of the society especially by the state.

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