International Law Prof Blog

Hissene Habre found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity

The Extraordinary African Chambers issued its decision today finding the former dictator of Chad, Hissene Habre, guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Chambers sentenced Habre to life in prison.

Habre ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990. He fled to Senegal, where he has resided since that time. He was first arrested in Senegal in 2000. After much legal wrangling, the Extraordinary African Chambers was created in Senegal in 2013 to try him.  His trial began in 2015.  93 witnesses traveled to Senegal to testify against Habre. They told stories of torture, rape, sexual slavery, mass executions, and destruction of entire villages. Ultimately, the Chambers found Habre guilty of torture, rape and sexual slavery of women to serve his army.  Habre did not acknowledge the jurisdiction of the Chambers and remained silent throughout the proceedings.

More information may be found (in French) on the website of the Extraordinary African Chambers.

(cgb)

Save the Date: Central States Law Schools Scholarship Conference in September

The Central States Law Schools Association Scholarship Conference will be held on Friday, September 23 and Saturday, September 24, 2016 at the University of North Dakota School of Law in Grand Forks, North Dakota. CSLSA is an organization of law schools dedicated to providing a forum for conversation and collaboration among law school academics. The CSLSA Annual Conference is an opportunity for legal scholars, especially more junior scholars, to present working papers or finished articles on any law-related topic in a relaxed and supportive setting where junior and senior scholars from various disciplines are available to comment. More mature scholars have an opportunity to test new ideas in a less formal setting than is generally available for their work. Scholars from member and nonmember schools are invited to attend. 

Registration will open in July. Hotel rooms are already available, and more information about the CSLSA conference can be found on the conference website at www.cslsa.us.

Hat tip to Christopher Odinet.

(mew)

Financial Crisis at IACHR Threatens Human Rights Work

In a press release today, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announced that a severe financial crisis is threatening its ability to carry out its mission. Because of the dire nature of this situation, the press release is reproduced in full below. (cgb) 

Press Release 69/16 Severe Financial Crisis of the IACHR Leads to Suspension of Hearings and Imminent Layoff of Nearly Half its Staff May 23, 2016 Washington, D.C. - The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is going through a severe financial crisis that will have serious consequences on its ability to fulfill its mandate and carry out its basic functions. The Commission deeply regrets having to report that on July 31, 2016, the contracts of 40 percent of its personnel will expire, and at this time the Commission does not have the funds—or the expectation of receiving the funds—to be able to renew them. The Commission is also very sorry to report that it has been forced to suspend the visits it had planned for this year, as well as its 159th and 160th sessions, which had been scheduled for July and October. The IACHR is alarmed by the fact that this situation will result in the dismantling of areas essential to its mandate. The IACHR is also distressed for the victims, petitioners, and civil society organizations that had planned to participate in hearings, working meetings, and other forums scheduled for the October session. The IACHR also expresses its deep concern because the suspension of sessions has a direct impact on the Commission’s capacity to make progress in processing complaints of human rights violations, since it is during these sessions that the Commissioners analyze, debate, and approve reports on petitions and cases. Moreover, it is disturbing that thousands of victims of human rights violations will be left unprotected. The total dismantling of some work teams and the cutbacks mean that it is inevitable that the procedural backlog the Commission had been trying to reduce will increase again and will reach a point where it is incompatible with the right of access to justice. The IACHR also deeply regrets having to face an imminent situation in which it could lose valuable employees who have worked tirelessly for the rights of victims and have brought a sense of duty and devotion to the cause of human rights. In the last few months and weeks, the IACHR and its Executive Secretariat have tried its best to confirm donations that had been previously talked, but unfortunately these did not succeed. The IACHR will continue to make every effort within its power to turn this situation around immediately, to prevent the loss of 40 percent of its staff and to be able to reschedule its sessions, visits, and all the other activities planned for 2016. To this end, the Inter-American Commission calls on the member countries, observer countries, and other potential donors to make urgent financial contributions that can be immediately available.  To avert this dire situation, the IACHR would need to receive funds, or at least commitments in writing for donations, before June 15. Beyond the immediate financial crisis, the Inter-American Commission suffers from a structural, systematic lack of funds that must be addressed and resolved. There is a deep discrepancy between the mandate the Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS) have given the IACHR and the financial resources they allocate to it. The regular budget of the IACHR this year is less than 5 million dollars, which amounts to $0.005 per person in the hemisphere per year. The staff of the Commission financed by the OAS regular fund consists of 31 people; in other words, it has fewer employees than countries under its jurisdiction. The other 47 employees are financed with donations, which can be unstable and unpredictable, as the current crisis shows. In the last two decades, the Commission has made ongoing efforts with the OAS Member States to secure a budget that would enable it to work effectively to fulfill its mandate. As a result of these efforts, the OAS General Assembly has approved a number of resolutions expressing a commitment to address the situation; however, these have not been reflected in a significant increase in resources. While the Council of Europe earmarks 41.5 percent of its budget to the promotion and protection of human rights, the OAS earmarks 6 percent of its budget to the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights. In this regard, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights strongly urges the OAS Member States to take on their responsibility to the inter-American Human Rights System. The IACHR hopes that the next OAS General Assembly, which will be held in June, will adopt a historic and far-reaching decision, one that reflects the States’ commitment to the defense of human rights in the region. This means radically increasing the budget of the OAS regular fund and allocating to the IACHR and the Inter-American Human Rights System in general the resources needed to fulfill the mandate the States themselves have handed down. It is essential, imperative, and urgent for the States to adopt a sustainable solution to this serious, chronic problem and demonstrate their commitment to the respect and guarantee of human rights with deeds and not just words. The IACHR expresses its firm commitment to continue to work in the fulfillment of its functions, inspired by the words of the American Convention on Human Rights, which states that “the ideal of free men enjoying freedom from fear and want can be achieved only if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his economic, social, and cultural rights, as well as his civil and political rights.” A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

More than 100 Participants from 18 Countries Gather in Verona for the 11th Global Legal Skills Conference

More than 100 participants from at least 18 countries are gathering this week at the University of Verona Department of Law for the 11th Global Legal Skills Conference, organized by The John Marshall Law School of Chicago. The conference takes place from May 24-26, 2016 in Verona and on May 27, 2016 in Padua. Here are some of the speakers participating this week:

• Prof. Lidia Angeleri, Delegate for Internationalization, University of Verona (Italy)
• Gianluca Atzori, Associate Attorney, Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP (Milan, Italy).
  
• Prof. David W. Austin, California Western School of Law, San Diego (California, USA/Italy)
• Dr. Amrita Bahri, Law Department, Instituto Tecnológico Autónimo de México (Mexico)
• Prof. Caterina Baruffi, University of Verona Department of Law (Italy)
• Tiffany Bennett, Pennsylvania State University Department of Applied Linguistics (Pennsylvania, USA)
• Prof. Lisa M. Black, California Western School of Law, San Diego (California, USA)
• Prof. Robert D. Brain, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (California, USA) and Chair of the Association of American Law Schools Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research
• Prof. Heidi K. Brown, Brooklyn Law School (New York, USA)
• Prof. Mireille O. Butler, Pepperdine University School of Law (California, USA)
• Prof. Paolo Butturini, University of Verona Department of Law and the University of Verona School of Foreign Languages and Literature (Italy)
• Tatiana Caldas-Löttiger, Eversheds Advokatbyrån, Stockholm (Sweden).
• Prof. Charles R. Calleros, Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (Arizona, USA)
• Prof. Catherine June Cameron, Stetson University College of Law (Florida, USA)
• Prof. Juli Campagna, Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University (New York, USA)
• Dott. Enrico Canzonieri, Università degli studi di Catania e Floresta Longo Foundation, Catania (Sicily, Italy)
• Prof. Ashley Krenelka Chase, Stetson University College of Law (Florida, USA)
• Prof. Susan Chesler, Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (Arizona, USA)
• Prof. Leonardo ("Aldo") Ciano, Kansai Gaidai University (Japan)
• Prof. Lurene Contento, The John Marshall Law School-Chicago (Illinois, USA)
• Prof. Alessandra Cordiano, University of Verona Department of Law (Italy)
• Prof. Rachel Croskery-Roberts, University of California at Irvine School of Law (California, USA)
• Avv. Alessandro Di Carlo, Associate Attorney at Macchi di Cellere Gangemi - Studio Legale (Italy)
• Dean Victoria L. Eastus, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, New York Law School (New York, USA)
• Prof. Linda H. Edwards, University of Nevada at Las Vegas Boyd School of Law (Nevada, USA)
• Mohamed Kamal Eldin, Association of Developmental Awareness, Alexandria (Egypt)
• Angelica P. Elmido, San Beda College of Law, Manila (Republic of the Philippines)
• Prof. Anne Enquist, Seattle University School of Law (Washington, USA)
• Prof. Kevin J. Fandl, Fox School of Business, Temple University (Pennsylvania, USA)
• Prof. Kathryn Falk Fehrman, Southwestern Law School, Los Angeles (California, USA)
• Dean Lauren Fielder, The University of Texas School of Law (Texas, USA)
• Prof. Stefano Fuselli, University of Verona College of Law (Italy)
• Dr. Mary Campbell Gallagher, BarWrite (New York, USA)
• Prof. Chris Gallavin, Massey University College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Palmerston North (New Zealand)
• Prof. Aaron Ghirardelli, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (California, USA)
• Prof. Heidi Gilchrist, Columbia Law School and Brooklyn Law School (New York, USA)
• Janusz Glowka, Vienna (Austria)
• Prof. Ann Goldstein, New York Law School (New York, USA)
• Prof. Aaron Richard Harmon, Qatar University College of Law (Doha, Qatar)
• Prof. Kimberly Holst, Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (Arizona, USA)
• Stephen Kress, Latham & Watkins, Frankfurt (Germany)
• Lindsey M. Kurtz, Pennsylvania State University Department of Applied Linguistics (Pennsylvania, USA)
• Prof. Diane Labrèche, Faculté de Droit, Université de Montréal (Canada)
• Prof. C.J. Larkin, Visiting Associate Professor of the Practice of Law, University of Denver Sturm College of Law (Colorado, USA)
• Dott. Tommaso Lecca, Università degli studi di Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy)
• Prof. Katerina Lewinbuk, South Texas College of Law (Texas, USA)
• Prof. Giovanna Ligugnana, University of Verona Department of Law (Italy)
• Prof. Antonino Longo, Università degli studi di Catania e Floresta Longo Foundation, Catania (Sicily, Italy).  
• Prof. Paola Lucarelli, University of Florence Department of Law (Italy)
• Prof. Hether Macfarlane, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento (California, USA)
• Prof. Stefano Maffei, University of Parma Department of Law (Italy)
• Dr. Meri West Maffet, Global Education Consultant (California, USA)
• Prof. Kathryn L. Mercer, Case Western Reserve University School of Law (Ohio, USA)
• Mr. Alan J. Miller (Florida, USA)
• Prof. William B.T. Mock, The John Marshall Law School-Chicago (Illinois, USA)
• Prof. James E. Moliterno, Washington and Lee University School of Law (Virginia, USA)
• Prof. Amy Montemarano, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Philadelphia (Pennsylvania, USA)
• Prof. Mary-Beth Moylan, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento (California, USA)
• Prof. Ann L. Nowak, Touro Law Center (New York, USA)
• Prof. Laurel Currie Oates, Seattle University School of Law (Washington, USA)
• Prof. Claudia Onniboni, University of Verona Department of Law (Italy)
• Ms Rachel Paling, Efficient Language Coaching (Germany/Italy/United Kingdom)
• Prof. Robin Wickham Palmer, University of Canterbury (New Zealand)
• Prof. Christian Pangilinan, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School (Guandong, China)
• Prof. Reema Parambath, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Philadelphia (Pennsylvania, USA)
• Prof. Cecilia Pedrazza Goriero, University of Verona Department of Law (Italy)
• Dr. Luis-Maria Pedriza, Osaka University Faculty of Law (Japan)
• Prof. Marco Peruzzi, University of Verona Department of Law (Italy)
• Dr. Teresa Phelps, American University Washington College of Law (District of Columbia, USA)
• Mtro. Gerardo Puertas-Gómez, Presidente del Consejo, Facultad Libre de Derecho de Monterrey (Mexico)
• Prof. Alison Riley, University of Ferrara Department of Law (Italy)
• Prof. Richard Risman, Syracuse University College of Law (New York, USA)
• Prof. Barrie J. Roberts, University of California at Berkeley (California, USA)
• Prof. Shannon P. Ryan, Syracuse University College of Law (New York, USA)
• Prof. Susan Salmon, University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law (Arizona, USA)
• Prof. Mimi Samuel, Seattle University School of Law (Washington, USA)
• Prof. Anila Scott-Monkhouse, Language Centre, University of Parma (Italy)
• Prof. Terry Jean Seligmann, Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Drexel University (Pennsylvania, USA)
• Prof. Helene S. Shapo, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (Illinois, USA)
• Prof. Craig T. Smith, University of North Carolina School of Law (North Carolina, USA)
• Prof. Patricia Sours, University of Ferrara Department of Law and and the University of Padua Department of Humanities (Italy)
• Prof. Lynn B. Su, New York Law School (New York, USA)
• Prof. Carrie Teitcher, Brooklyn Law School (New York, USA)
• Prof. Alberto Maria Tedoldi, University of Verona Department of Law (Italy)
• Meghan Thomas, Osgoode Professional Development / Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto (Ontario, Canada)
• Prof. John B. Thornton, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (Illinois, USA)
• Prof. Grace Calabrese Tonner, University of California at Irvine School of Law (California, USA)
• Prof. Marco Torsello, University of Verona Department of Law (Verona, Italy)
• Prof. Stefano Troiano, University of Verona Department of Law (Verona, Italy)
• Andrea Valsecchi, Lawyer at the Bar in Bergamo and Mediator for the Organismo Mediazione Forense Ordine Avvocati Bergamo (Italy)
• Prof. Anthony S. Winer, Mitchell Hamline College of Law, St. Paul (Minnesota, USA)
• Prof. Mark E. Wojcik, The John Marshall Law School-Chicago (Illinois, USA)
• Prof. Paula Marie Young, Qatar University College of Law (Doha, Qatar)
• Prof. Emily Zimmerman, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law (Pennsylvania, USA)
• Rebecca Zoshak, Pennsylvania State University Department of Applied Linguistics (Pennsylvania, USA)

(mew)

Support for Democracy in Africa

The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations will hold a hearing on support for democracy in Africa on May 18, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Hat tip to the ABA Governmental Affairs Office.

(mew)

ASIL WILIG Seeking Mentors

The American Society of International Law (ASIL) and its Women in International Law Interest Group (WILIG) are now launching the fourth year of the Women in International Law Mentoring Program. Since 2013, over 364 women have enrolled in ASIL's Mentoring Program as both mentors and mentees in 9 countries and 27 cities from Tucson to Singapore. The feedback has been extremely positive, and with the enthusiasm of our current participants, we have built a strong, inter-connected, and global network. We hope to reach more women for the 2016-17 program!

The Women in International Law Mentoring Program is the first of its kind in international law and is designed to foster the next generation of female international lawyers. The program connects experienced female international law professionals with female law students and new attorneys interested in professional development in the field of international law. Mentoring takes place locally, in a group setting, with a maximum of four mentees for every mentor. Mentors and mentees meet in person every other month during the course of an academic year to discuss topics and engage in activities designed to help junior women enter and be successful in the field of international law. Mentors will be provided with optional pre-planned meeting topics to structure meetings for their groups. Upon finishing the requirements of the one-year program, all participants receive a certificate of completion.

For more information or to apply for the program as a mentor or mentee, visit the ASIL website.

(cgb) 

 

 

Proposals for SALT Teaching Conference Due June 15

The Society of American Law Teachers (SALT) will hold its 2016 Teaching Conference in Chicago at The John Marshall Law School. The conference, "From the Community to the Classroom: Teaching and Advancing Social Justice," will be held on Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1, 2016.

Proposals for the SALT Teaching Conference are due by June 15, 2016. Click here for more information.

Additionally, the 10th Annual Junior Faculty Development Workshop organized by LatCrit, Inc. and SALT will be held on Thursday, September 29, 2016. The Faculty Development Workshop is intended to familiarize junior faculty with Lat Crit and SALT and to support faculty in their scholarship, teaching, and service.

(mew)

The EU's Proposed Investment Court: Remarks by Former ICJ Judge Stephen Schwebel

Former President of the International Court of Justice Stephen Schwebel will deliver remarks regarding the recent proposal by the European Union to create a permanent investment court as a substitute for traditional investor-State arbitration under the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Judge Schwebel will assess the pros and cons of the EU's proposal, which may significantly alter investor-State dispute settlement. This event is cosponsored by the American Society of International Law (ASIL), ASIL Leadership Circle Law Firm Member Sidley Austin LLP, and the American Bar Associaiton Section of International Law. 

The event is May 17, 2016 - 6:00pm to 7:30pm at Sidley Austin, 1501 K Street NW, Washington D.C. Contact one of the sponsoring entities for information on how to attend.

(mew)

Nearly 400 Same-Sex Couples Have Married in Ireland; Italy Votes for Civil Unions

Switzerland was the first country to adopt same-sex civil unions by national vote. And about a year ago, Ireland became the first country to adopt same-sex marriage by popular vote. Since adopting same-sex marriage, 397 same-sex couples have married in Ireland.

Click here to read more about same-sex marriages in Ireland.

Earlier this week the lower house of the Italian Parliament approved legislation that will lead to same-sex civil unions in Italy. The Senate approved the legislation earlier in the year and the Italian President is expected to sign the bill. Same-sex civil unions should be available in Italy by September. The Italian legislation falls short of marriage equality and does not give same-sex partners the right to adopt. It is, however, an important step forward for equality.

(mew)

Global Legal Skills Conference in Verona, Italy

The next Global Legal Skills Conference is being held in Verona, Italy from May 24-26, 2016 at the University of Verona Department of Law, in cooperation with The John Marshall Law School of Chicago. Registration is still open. More information about the conference, including the conference schedule and speakers, is available by clicking here.

The conference is supported by a number of organizations, including the American Society of International Law, the American Bar Association Section of International Law, the International Law Students' Association, and Scribes--The American Society of Legal Writers.

(mew)

ASIL Women in International Law Mentoring Program Graduation Ceremony

The American Society of International Law (ASIL) and its Women in International Law Interest Group will hold a graduation ceremony for participants of the 2015-16 Women in International Law Mentoring Program on May 16, 2016 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Washington, D.C. Since the mentoring program's beginnings in 2013, more than 364 women have enrolled as both mentors and mentees in 17 cities from Tucson to Singapore. Thanks to the enthusiasm of current participants, the mentoring program has built a strong, inter-connected and global network. The Women in International Law Interest Group is co-chaired by Tracy Roosevelt and Shana Tabak,

(mew)

Important News for Legal Researchers: Goodbye, Thomas.gov. Hello, Congress.gov!

Thomas.gov, the search engine for U.S. federal legislative research, retires as of July 5, 2016. Its replacement is Congress.gov, a website already up and running. Make the switch now. Read more about it by clicking here.

(mew)

WTO News

The World Trade Organization (WTO) announced today that Montenegro and Albania have become the latest WTO members to ratify the new Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), bringing the total number of ratifications to date to 79. The TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. In addition, it contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area. The TFA broke new ground for developing and least-developed countries in the way it will be implemented. For the first time in WTO history, the requirement to implement the Agreement is directly linked to the capacity of the country to do so. In addition, the Agreement states that assistance and support should be provided to help them achieve that capacity.  The TFA will enter into force once two-thirds of the WTO membership, or 1o7  members, have formally accepted the Agreement. 

In other WTO news this week, the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) established a “compliance panel” to consider the measures taken by the United States in its dispute with Mexico over tuna (DS381).  The United States believes its new rule on dolphin safe labels brings the U.S. into compliance with its WTO obligations, but Mexico disagrees. More information regarding this dispute may be found in this WTO News Item.

In another WTO dispute settlement matter, Argentina expressed its satisfaction with the findings in DS453- Measures Related to Trade in Goods and Services - Report of the Appellate Body.  Argentina described the findings as confirming that the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) gave broad margin to members to maintain anti-abusive defensive measures on the transparency and exchange of fiscal information as a way of protecting public revenue. Argentina noted that this was the first dispute in which the Appellate Body established a standard to determine “likeness” in the context of Articles II and XVII of the GATS. The Appellate Body had ruled that an evaluation of “likeness” of services cannot be made in isolation of issues related to service providers. 

(cgb)

 

Happy Law Day

In the United States, May 1st is celebrated as "Law Day," the American answer to May Day celebrations in other countries.

We wish you a Happy Law Day!
Please celebrate responsibly.

(mew)

Webtools We Like: The Schengen Calculator!

Do you visit Europe often?  Visa-free visitors to the European Union and other countries in the Schengen are allow you to stay for no more than 90 days in any 180-day period. This website has a "Schengen Calculator" that lets you add up your various trips to Europe and find out if you're within the rules. Have a look by clicking here! The website was made by the "exceedingly handsome web developer Adam Bard."

(mew)