Retroactivity in international treaty law

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.

Temporary application of international treaties: legal aspects

Problem setting. Nowadays the problem of the provisional application of treaties can be described as actual. It is no accident that it has been the subject of the attention of the United Nations International Law Commission with the task of elaborating the most important problems of international law. Furthermore, the above-mentioned subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly recognized the need to analyze the provisional application of treaties, the need for the progressive development and codification of international law in respect of the topic dealt with in this article. Аnalysis of research and publications. Aspects of the problem of provisional application of treaties are reflected primarily in the works of in the works of I.I. Lukashuk, O.V. Kyivets, O.V. Pushniak, I.I. Maryniv, T. Leber. Target of research is to describe the legal institution of the provisional introduction of international treaties and to find reasons for its use. Article’s main body. The article is devoted to the question of the temporary use of an international treaty as a fundamental institution of international law. The study discusses the need for provisional application of treaties. Attention was paid to the works of legal academics, who had considered this issue, their works and summaries were reviewed regarding the question under consideration. The author analyzed the formulations of the article 25 of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Legal aspects and shortcomings were considered. First of all, it was noted that there is no definition of the temporary application of international treaties in the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and article 25 of the Convention had been criticized for being difficult to understand and lacking legal precision. In the article, the author noted that in general, the provisional use takes place before the entry into force of the treaty, when countries have not yet completed the necessary internal state procedures for its entry into force and have not internationally expressed consent to be bound. The author also stressed that the application of the treaty before it enters into force or will enter in the moment when it is implemented, the parties will address to their commitments and thus the object of the treaty would disappear. The author highlighted another legal aspect of the international legal institution under consideration is that, in order to implement the institution of provisional application of treaties, A special law and regulations may be enacted in domestic law (constitutional and legislative). What is more, the author mentioned that it is appropriate to devote attention to the work of the father of the national science on the law of international treaties I.I. Lukashuk. Conclusions. The author concluded that the institution of the provisional use of treaties is one of the key institutions in the law of treaties enabling the parties to urgently address cooperation issues. Another conclusion of the author of this article is that countries resort to this legal instrument under consideration for several reasons: urgent resolution of issues to which the relevant treaties apply; the desire of countries to adopt and immediately implement confidence-building measures; preventing time gaps in the operation of a number of international treaties, which have been successively adopted and replace each other on the same subject.

The Law on State Responsibility and the World Trade Organization

This paper examines the role of general international law in the World Trade Organization (WTO) regime, using the rules on state responsibility as a case study. It identifies and discusses instances in WTO case law where such rules were applied directly or were taken into consideration in interpreting relevant WTO provisions. The analysis demonstrates that direct application of general international law for the determination of indispensable matters not regulated by the WTO Agreements is part of the inherent powers of WTO adjudicative bodies. Moreover, under Article 3(2) Dispute Settlement Understanding and Article 31(3)(c) Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, WTO adjudicative bodies have an obligation to take into account general international law in interpreting relevant WTO provisions. The paper delineates the methodology for assessing the interaction between general international law and WTO law and highlights the importance of adhering to this methodology to provide clarity and legal certainty regarding the scope and content of WTO obligations.

Trickle-down assurances: Could the central authority, treaty, or judiciary alleviate extradition issues amongst non-traditional treaty partners?

<p>As New Zealand is facing its first extradition matter with China, it is becoming an increasingly cumbersome matter for the Crown. The current set of diplomatic assurances offered by the Crown in Kim lacks efficient post-sentencing monitoring mechanisms. It also lacks accountability for the Crown if a requested-person’s assurance rights have been breached. This thesis suggests that new post-sentencing monitoring mechanisms should be introduced, such as the induction of the Ombudsman to perform their duties in off-shore prison facilities. This thesis is of the view that, contrary to the general opinions of NGOs, an extradition treaty with China is necessary (and perhaps long overdue). Not only for New Zealand’s commitment against transnational crimes, but also to protect stringent monitoring mechanisms for pre-and post-sentencing while addressing any future breaches by the Requesting-State under the Vienna Convention on the Laws of Treaties, especially when there is an option of adjudication under the International Court of Justice. This thesis concludes the Courts should also be more involved in the extradition process. While balancing the need for comity and mutual respect, but allowing the Courts to be able to assess assurance-related evidence if absolutely necessary.</p>

Trickle-down assurances: Could the central authority, treaty, or judiciary alleviate extradition issues amongst non-traditional treaty partners?

<p>As New Zealand is facing its first extradition matter with China, it is becoming an increasingly cumbersome matter for the Crown. The current set of diplomatic assurances offered by the Crown in Kim lacks efficient post-sentencing monitoring mechanisms. It also lacks accountability for the Crown if a requested-person’s assurance rights have been breached. This thesis suggests that new post-sentencing monitoring mechanisms should be introduced, such as the induction of the Ombudsman to perform their duties in off-shore prison facilities. This thesis is of the view that, contrary to the general opinions of NGOs, an extradition treaty with China is necessary (and perhaps long overdue). Not only for New Zealand’s commitment against transnational crimes, but also to protect stringent monitoring mechanisms for pre-and post-sentencing while addressing any future breaches by the Requesting-State under the Vienna Convention on the Laws of Treaties, especially when there is an option of adjudication under the International Court of Justice. This thesis concludes the Courts should also be more involved in the extradition process. While balancing the need for comity and mutual respect, but allowing the Courts to be able to assess assurance-related evidence if absolutely necessary.</p>

Peace Agreements as International Legal Acts Protecting National Minorities: The Scope Ratione Personae

The issue of the protection of national minorities is regulated by acts of international law, frequently arising from international agreements that have been concluded to end armed conflicts or to regulate directly their consequences. Peace treaties concluded between states are governed by the rules set out in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. More and more peace agreements are, however, concluded by non-state actors. As indicated in Article 3 of the Convention, it cannot be excluded that these too would be international agreements, having effects in the sphere of international law. Such acts are concluded, inter alia, by insurgents or belligerents. In some cases, agreements ending non-international armed conflicts are concluded by domestic entities that are not subjects of international law. Such acts may reflect solutions that have been adopted as standards in international practice and in the provisions of international law. These do not necessarily have to be legally binding standards. They can also be framework solutions, including measures relating to the protection of national minorities, which are formulated and offered as proposals for specific regulations.

(Un)lucky Strike and the Winnie Blues: Tobacco Plain Packaging, Investment Treaties, and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

<p>In recent years, tobacco has been the subject of increasingly more stringent regulatory attention. At the same time there has been a proliferation of bilateral and multilateral investment agreements, While the former compels state Parties to take action to reduce tobacco consumption, many of the latter provide a guarantee to foreign investors that states will not enact measures which result in a substantial reduction of the value of their property. Recent disputes illustrate that these two sets of obligations are not capable of coexistence. In 2012 Australia took regulatory action, enacting legislation obliging the sale of tobacco products in “plain” packets. Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco International and British American Tobacco took to a number of different fora to challenge the measures as being in violation of their rights under national constitutional law, world trade law, and under nternational investment law. While the domestic law claims were limited to an assessment of the measure in the context of the companies’ constitutional rights, and the WTO claims face a significant hurdle because of the public interest nature of the regulations, the claims brought as international investment arbitrations are not subject to these same constraints. The result is a conflict of obligations. States are left in a position where they must take steps to reduce tobacco consumption while at the same time refraining from action amounting to expropriation of an investment. Does one of these obligations take priority of the other? Or must they both, as the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties suggests, be performed in good faith? The application of various conflicts rules imported from domestic and private international law into the international law sphere more generally yields some answers, goes some way to resolving the conflict, and reconstitutes the otherwise increasingly fragmented international law.</p>

(Un)lucky Strike and the Winnie Blues: Tobacco Plain Packaging, Investment Treaties, and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

<p>In recent years, tobacco has been the subject of increasingly more stringent regulatory attention. At the same time there has been a proliferation of bilateral and multilateral investment agreements, While the former compels state Parties to take action to reduce tobacco consumption, many of the latter provide a guarantee to foreign investors that states will not enact measures which result in a substantial reduction of the value of their property. Recent disputes illustrate that these two sets of obligations are not capable of coexistence. In 2012 Australia took regulatory action, enacting legislation obliging the sale of tobacco products in “plain” packets. Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco International and British American Tobacco took to a number of different fora to challenge the measures as being in violation of their rights under national constitutional law, world trade law, and under nternational investment law. While the domestic law claims were limited to an assessment of the measure in the context of the companies’ constitutional rights, and the WTO claims face a significant hurdle because of the public interest nature of the regulations, the claims brought as international investment arbitrations are not subject to these same constraints. The result is a conflict of obligations. States are left in a position where they must take steps to reduce tobacco consumption while at the same time refraining from action amounting to expropriation of an investment. Does one of these obligations take priority of the other? Or must they both, as the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties suggests, be performed in good faith? The application of various conflicts rules imported from domestic and private international law into the international law sphere more generally yields some answers, goes some way to resolving the conflict, and reconstitutes the otherwise increasingly fragmented international law.</p>