An expert on the history and politics of the UN says that the Security Council’s failure to intervene in Ukraine is a “black eye,” but the panel’s inability to act is not a design flaw.
Articles on International law
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The laws of war and what is considered acceptable and unacceptable weaponry suggest there’s a right and wrong way to kill. It’s unlikely any of the victims of war would appreciate the distinction.
President Biden said that Vladimir Putin had committed war crimes, after news emerged of mass civilian murders in Bucha, Ukraine. Three stories from our archive explain what this means.
Nearly all of the 129 aid workers killed on the job in 2021 were from the countries where they lost their lives.
There are a few warning signs that genocide is happening. In the Russian war on Ukraine, all of those are present.
Protecting the continent’s historical artefacts requires political will from governments – and a reawakening of cultural conscience among Africans.
None of the available methods for holding Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable are likely to actually punish him, and they may even make new atrocities more likely.
While the ruling is binding, it is not enforceable. Still, it could compel other nations to support Ukraine’s cause.
No state in the global community should have to earn Russia’s compliance with the law. If the rule of law is not respected, the entire global community becomes as vulnerable as Ukraine is now.
Vladimir Putin has a history of flattening cities in time of conflict. But alleged war crimes in Chechnya and Syria never resulted in charges, let alone prosecutions. Will Ukraine be any different?
International law says that the Russian invasion is illegal in itself. The Russian military’s alleged conduct also breach various international legal treaties.
The case raises the question of what happens when a court that’s designed to keep international peace starts assigning crippling damage awards.
The Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits gives Turkey control over the water route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
International law has been breaking down for over two decades, meaning New Zealand must find new ways to promote peace and security.
Existing alliances arose in the wake of World War II, when global politics were very different and today’s challenges were yet unimagined.
International laws are in place to prevent war and help protect civilians and combatants alike. But these laws are challenging to enforce and are unlikely to stop the unfolding Russia-Ukraine war.
What’s the point of international law if Russia can still invade Ukraine? Where is the enforcement? Three experts explain why holding Russia to account is so difficult.
Representatives of 175 countries voted to start developing a global treaty to reduce plastic waste. Treaties addressing mercury, long-range air pollution and ozone depletion offer some lessons.
The Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine do not qualify as states under international law, but Russia is reinterpreting those norms for its own purposes.
By raising the Mauritian flag on the Chagos Islands, the east African nation has reasserted – if only symbolically – its claim to sovereignty.
Top contributors
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Professor in Human Rights and International Law, University of Newcastle
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Professor of International Law, Australian National University
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Associate Professor (Law), Edith Cowan University
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Course Co-ordinator, International Law Clinical Program, ANU College of Law, Australian National University
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Associate Professor, The University of Western Australia
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Associate Professor of Law, Member of Deakin Cyber and the Centre for Law as Protection, Deakin University, Deakin University
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Senior Visiting Scholar with the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights, Rutgers University
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Adjunct Professor, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania
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Challis Chair of International Law, Sydney Law School, University of Sydney
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Professor of Law, University of Waikato
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Associate Professor of Politics and Global Studies, Arizona State University
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Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW
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Professor of Law and International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
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Associate Professor, Deakin Law School, Deakin University
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Adjunct Professor in Law, The University of Western Australia