scholarly journals Identification Criteria of Jus Cogens Norms in International Law

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuliya Dolinska
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
General Rule ◽  
International Community ◽  
General Nature ◽  
General Definition ◽  
Vienna Convention ◽  
Specific Content ◽  
The Status ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Jus Cogens

The article examines the positions of leading scholars on the identification of imperative norms of international law, discusses critical remarks that focus primarily on the difficulties connected with such identification. Trying to codify the concept of jus cogens in international law, the Commission itself acknowledged that the wording of the article was not so straightforward as there was no simple criterion by which a general rule of international law could be defined as having the character of jus cogens. Moreover, most of the general rules of international law are not of this nature, and therefore States can evade them by concluding treaties. Having considered the general definition of jus cogens in the Vienna Convention, it can be argued that the rule of international law can be ‘raised’ to the status of the rule of jus cogens – the imperative rule of international law – if the latter meets all the criteria. An important criterion worth noting is that imperative rules protect the interests of the whole international community: all imperative rules protect the interests of community, but not all public interests will be protected by the rules of jus cogens. The next criterion, closely related to the previous one, is that jus cogens rules protect the most fundamental ethical values of the international community, and one more – the absolute nature of the norm. But, in fact, the jus cogens category itself has more authority than its specific content. Despite the fact that none of the documents contains a comprehensive list of rules that should be considered imperative, the article provides a preliminary classification of non-derogation rules in order to illustrate some of the most obvious and applicable jus cogens norms for indicating in these examples the general nature and scope of the rule contained in Article 53. Key words: jus cogens norms; imperative norms; international law.

What Is So Special About Jus Cogens? – On the Difference between the Ordinary and the Peremptory International Law

2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulf Linderfalk
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
General Definition ◽  
Vienna Convention ◽  
Present Essay ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Jus Cogens ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Legal Consequences

Abstract What, exactly, is it about jus cogens that distinguishes it from ordinary international law? In answering this question, international lawyers usually resort to the “the Legal-Consequences-as-Criterion Theory”: while ordinary international law can be rebutted or modified in accordance with the duly expressed will of states, jus cogens norms permit no derogation and allow modification only by the creation of a new norm having the same character. In the present essay, this theory is subjected to analysis and assessment. Section 2 inquires into the relationship between the Legal-Consequences-as-Criterion Theory and the general definition of jus cogens reflected in Article 53 of the 1969 Vienna Convention. As argued, Article 53 is entirely reliant upon the validity of the Legal-Consequences-as-Criterion Theory. Sections 3 and 4 inquire into the assumptions underlying this same Theory. As argued, the Theory does not provide good reasons for the distinction between jus cogens and ordinary international law.

4 Recent Work of the International Law Commission

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelton Dinah
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
South African ◽  
Vienna Convention ◽  
Special Rapporteur ◽  
Initial Report ◽  
Fourth Report ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Jus Cogens ◽  
International Law Commission ◽  
Peremptory Norms

This chapter examines the International Law Commission's (ILC) recent consideration of the topic of jus cogens. It was not until 2015 that the ILC decided to include the topic in its program of work and appointed South African member Dire Tladi as special rapporteur for the topic. The initial report of Tladi addressed conceptual matters such as the nature and definition of jus cogens norms. At its 69th Session in 2017, the ILC had before it the second report submitted by the Special Rapporteur which aimed to set forth the criteria for the identification of peremptory norms, using the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT) as a starting point. Meanwhile, the third report of the Special Rapporteur considered the consequences and legal effects of peremptory norms of general international law. Finally, the fourth report, presented in 2019, dealt with the question of the existence of regional jus cogens and the contentious issue of whether or not to include an illustrative list of jus cogens norms in the conclusions to the study.

scholarly journals A Quest for Defining Terrorism in International Law: The Emerging Consensus

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Salman Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
International Community ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
International Terrorism ◽  
General Definition ◽  
Armed Struggle ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
To Come ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Agreed Definition

The United Nations (UN) has no internationally-agreed definition of terrorism. The definitional impasse has prevented the adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. Even in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 the UN failed to adopt the Convention, and the deadlock continues to this day. The prime reason is the standoff with the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The Arab Terrorism Convention and the Terrorism Convention of the Organization of the Islamic Conference defines terrorism to exclude armed struggle for liberation and self-determination. This increased its complexity and vagueness. The aim of this paper is to examine the definitional aspect of terrorism and the challenges faced in adopting a single universally accepted definition by the international community. The methodology adopted in this paper is purely a library based research focusing mainly on primary and secondary sources. The paper concludes that nations or states have to come to agreement on a definition of the term “terrorism”, for without a consensus of what constitute terrorism, nations or states could not unite against it. A general definition of terrorism is necessary in order for the international community to fight against terrorism in a precise way.  

scholarly journals International Obligations of Unrecognized State. The Case of Transdnistrian Moldavian Republic

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-93
Author(s):  
Galina Shinkaretskaia
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
International Law ◽  
Legal System ◽  
International Community ◽  
European Convention ◽  
Vienna Convention ◽  
International Treaties ◽  
The Status ◽  
International Obligations ◽  
The Republic

Unrecognized states are formations separated themselves from another state and had declared itself a new self-standing state. The inner structure of the formation does not differ from the structure of other states in that it possesses a constitution, legal system and state bodies. But such a formation is not recognized by the international community in the capacity of a subject of international law or is recognized by a minor number of states.Unrecognized states do not have interstate treaties with UN members, yet this does not mean that no international obligations are obligatory for them. General principles of international law and peremptory norms are obligatory notwithstanding recognition. Moreover, unrecognized state sometimes accept voluntarily international obligations of some treaties, still they are not recognized as parties thereof. The status of unrecognized states differ from the status of other actors not states in international relations: sometimes intrastate or even non-governmental organizations, e.g. European union, are accepted as parties to international treaties. Unrecognized states can never become parties to international treaties. Thus a situation of irresponsibility is created, when an unrecognized state has no partners who could question a responsibility in case of a breach of international law; neither the jurisdiction of treaty bodies created to monitor implementation of the treaty obligations.Transdnistrian Moldavian Republic is a good illustration here. Its Constitution contains a rule that the generally recognized principles and norms of international law and international treaties are a part of its legal system. The Republic does not have interstate treaties, but accepted some normative acts on the recognition of the most important human rights treaties. This is in fact a joining of the Republic to the treaties. Yet the Republic is not a party to them because the Vienna Convention on the law of international treaties 1969 allows only the subjects of international law to conclude international treaties which unrecognized Transdnistria is not. Thus the situation is created where the international community cannot submit a claim of failure to fulfill a treaty to Transdnistria.We submit that this is not so with generally recognized norms and principles because an obligation is emerging in the contemporary international law that all actors of international intercourse must fulfill those principles and norms. The events around the indictment of the former President of the Republic are a good example of breach of international law. The Republic broke the European Convention on human rights which diminished the acceptance of international law by the Republic.

Concept of a Treaty in Decisions of International Courts and Tribunals

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-168
Author(s):  
Malgosia Fitzmaurice
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
General Rule ◽  
Vienna Convention ◽  
International Court Of Justice ◽  
International Courts ◽  
Judicial Practice ◽  
International Court ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
International Law Commission

Abstract This article investigates and analyses the work of the International Law Commission concerning what constitutes a treaty in international law, and the role of international courts and tribunals in developing the definition of treaty as enshrined in the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (‘the VCLT’). The definition of the treaty in the VCLT is the starting point of the discussion. The article argues that there is a whole host of new elements which appear in the practice of international courts and tribunals (including the International Court of Justice) that supplement the classical definition in the VCLT. However, judicial practice in international courts and tribunals is rather diverse which inhibits the formulation of a uniform and consistent general rule in respect of the definition of the treaty outside that of the VCLT.

Retroactivity in international treaty law

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iryna Osmirko ◽  
Ivanna Maryniv
Keyword(s):  
General Rule ◽  
International Agreements ◽  
Vienna Convention ◽  
Main Body ◽  
International Agreement ◽  
International Treaties ◽  
International Treaty ◽  
Retroactive Effect ◽  
The Status ◽  
Contractual Obligations

Problem setting. Due to the fact that the constitutional norms determine the status of an international treaty, the binding nature of which has been approved by the parliament as part of national legislation, it is important to study the temporal effect of international treaties, namely their retroactivity. In general, the Vienna Convention contains a provision according to which an international treaty has no retroactive effect in respect of the States which are parties to it, except where the intention to give retroactive effect to the treaty follows from the treaty itself or the agreements of its parties. These exceptions to the general rule indicate the non-absoluteness of the latter, so it is appropriate to study the factors that determine the existence of retroactive agreements, as well as controversial and controversial issues that arise in this regard. Analysis of recent researches and publications. Scholars such as S.N. Ivanov, RA Kalamkaryan, M.A. Kapustina, II Lukashuk, OV Pushnyak and others. However, this area needs further study and analysis, given the existence of exceptions to the general provision on the lack of retroactive effect of international agreements. Target of research. Тo consider the conditions under which an international treaty has retroactive effect, to investigate the factors influencing the decision to grant retroactive effect and the issues arising in connection with the retroactivity of international treaties. Article’s main body. This study examines the non-absoluteness of the provision on the absence of retroactive effect of international agreements. Among the reasons that encourage states to anticipate retroactive effect – the interpretive or additional nature of the international agreement or the need to resolve the situation that arose before its conclusion. It should be emphasized that some agreements have retroactive effect by virtue of their object, which provides this retroactive effect, as agreed by the parties, although not explicitly stated in the contract. It is also not uncommon for certain rights and obligations to arise not because of an international treaty that has not yet entered into force, but because of customary norms that are enshrined in it. Conclusions and prospects for the development. The principle of no retroactive effect of an international agreement is not absolute. In each case, the reasons for the application of retroactivity must be decided by a judicial authority in the process of interpreting the contractual obligations. An important role in the possibility of retroactive application of an international treaty is played by its object or the co-existing customary norms of international law and the principles recognized by civilized nations as binding.

Part II Predominant Security Challenges and International Law, National and Transnational Security, Ch.10 International Law and State Failure

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
McLaughlin Rob
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
International Community ◽  
State Failure ◽  
Minimum Level ◽  
Security Framework ◽  
Global Security ◽  
Working Definition ◽  
Security Challenges ◽  
Definition Of

This chapter examines the concept of State failure from the perspective of international law as it concerns the facilitation, regulation, and occasionally the degradation of global security. International law, in this context, is primarily conceptualized as an enabler for security-informed responses to the phenomenon of State failure. International law approaches State failure from the perspective of restorative legal and institutional facilitation, with a structural predilection for a State-centric security framework. This has resulted in the nexus between ‘State failure’ and international law being dominated by two interlinked purposes: (1) promoting the normative continuity of ‘Stateness’ for failed entities; and (2) managing the transition back to a minimum level of stable ‘Stateness’ with the least harm to the population and the international community. Ultimately, international law’s approach to State failure is primarily one of remedy, not of acceptance. The chapter seeks to evolve a working definition of ‘State failure’ from an international law perspective and assesses the adequacy of selected modes and indicators by which international law may recognize State failure.

3. The law of treaties

2021 ◽  
pp. 33-48
Author(s):  
Ilias Bantekas ◽  
Efthymios Papastavridis
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
The Other ◽  
Vienna Convention ◽  
Written Form ◽  
The Law ◽  
The One ◽  
Definition Of

This chapter examines the rules of international law governing the birth, the life, and the death of treaties. Treaties, a formal source of international law, are agreements in written form between States or international organizations that are subject to international law. A treaty falls under the definition of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT), no matter what form or title it may have. The most important factor is that it sets out obligations or entitlements under international law. The VCLT enumerates the rules governing the ‘birth’, ie the steps from the negotiation until the entry into force of the treaty; the ‘life’, ie the interpretation and application of the treaty; and its ‘demise’, ie its termination. The two fundamental tenets are, on the one hand, the principle ‘pacta sunt servanda’ and, on the other, the principle of contractual freedom of the parties.

3. The Law of Treaties

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Dixon ◽  
Robert McCorquodale ◽  
Sarah Williams
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
International Society ◽  
Vienna Convention ◽  
The Law ◽  
Definition Of

Treaties are an important source of international law that are used with increasing frequency to codify, crystallise and develop international law. They are particularly useful when States need to change or reorganise their obligations under international law rapidly, sometimes to reflect the changed reality of international society. This chapter begins with the definition of a treaty. It then discusses the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969; formation and application of treaties; reservations to treaties; interpretation of treaties; invalidity of treaties; and termination of treaties.

22. Breach of Contract and Termination

Contract Law ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewan McKendrick
Keyword(s):  
Contract Law ◽  
Good Faith ◽  
Vienna Convention ◽  
European Contract ◽  
Breach Of Contract ◽  
Anticipatory Breach ◽  
The Status ◽  
Anticipatory Breach Of Contract ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Right

This chapter begins with a definition of ‘breach of contract’ and then outlines the circumstances in which a breach of contract gives to the innocent party a right to terminate further performance of the contract. These include breach of a condition and breach of an intermediate term where the consequences of the breach are sufficiently serious. The chapter also considers the problems that can arise in deciding the status of a term which has not been classified by the parties as a condition, a warranty, or an intermediate term. It examines termination clauses and the significance attached to the good faith of the party who is alleged to have repudiated the contract. The chapter includes a brief comparison of English law with the Vienna Convention and with the Principles of European Contract Law, and also addresses the question of whether an innocent party is obligated to exercise its right to terminate further performance of the contract, and considers the loss of the right to terminate. It concludes with a discussion of the law of anticipatory breach of contract.

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