Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'International public law'

Arbitration tribunals rely on public policy principles to exclude or determine the applicable law. At times, the notion of public policy will contain fundamental yardsticks recognised by the world community at large. In such cases public policy may be called transnational or truly international. The thesis expounds the notion and content of transnational public policy as applied by international tribunals. This objective is met by exploring the method, functions and purpose of transnational public policy in international arbitration. The opening chapter sheds light on the origins and concept of public policy and the different levels it has been applied by international tribunals and national courts. It suggests a criteria for the distinction between domestic, domestic-international, regional and transnational public policy. The thesis then gives an in depth analysis of the origins and notion of transnational public policy. It suggests that international tribunals have relied on transnational public policy in their awards and proposes a method to determine its content and sources. Such method is then applied to deduct the content of transnational public policy from decided arbitration awards. The thesis shows that transnational public policy can be relevant at three different stages in international arbitration. At the outset of the proceeding, where the arbitrators determine their jurisdiction; during the arbitration, where it controls the procedure applicable in the arbitration; or at the stage of drafting the final award, where it determines fundamental substantive rules relied upon by the tribunal.

Enforcement of international judicial decisions of the International Court of Justice has suffered serious negligence in public international law. Thus, the first significance of this thesis lies in dearth of the authoritative legal literature on this topic. Bearing in mind the unprecedented increase interest in international dispute settlement which can be explained by the phenomenon of proliferation of international judicial bodies and in the qualitative and quantitative nature· of contentious disputes brought before the ICJ, non-compliance with the judicial decisions of the Court is definitely to increase. This study has explored the problem of non-compliance with and enforcement of the judicial decisions of the ICJ; a problem that now exists beyond any doubt as Chapter 1 of this study exposes. However, enforcement cannot be directly made without some initial and critical scrutiny into the legal foundations of the bindingness and enforceability of these judicial decisions normally the rules of pacta sunt servanda and of res judicata, to which Chapters 2 and 3 are devoted. Similarly, the problem of non-compliance with and enforcement of judicial decisions should not usefully be considered in the abstract. Thus, Chapter 4 elucidates the legal nature and the scope of judicial decisions that are subject to enforcement. Article 94 (2) of the UN. Charter provides no exclusive authority for the Security Council to be the ultimate and sole enforcer of the judicial decisions of the I CJ decisions nor is there a straightforward and independent enforcement means of international obligations especially those derived from international judicial decisions. Hence, this study explores and involves various players and invests various means to establish a network of enforcement mechanisms available to all States regardless of their position in the international community. In so doing, the rest of the thesis is devoted to judicial enforcement and institutional enforcement respectively. Chapter 5 examines judicial enforcement through the ICJ itself, while Chapter 6 examines the role of domestic courts of States in this process. Injured State could also seek institutional enforcement. Chapter 7 examines the role of the United Nations, while Chapters 8 and 9 deal with the role of regional organisations and specialised agencies in this process respectively. Notwithstanding the indispensability of judicial and institutional enforcement, they are not always successful or predictable or independently adequate. They may fail to be effective or incapable of inducing a defaulting State to comply with its international legal obligations under the judgment of the ICl So, proposals have been advanced to mitigate or to contain this problem. These proposals, however, have suffered from a lack of support in law and practice, and thus other alternative recommendations and suggestions are provided in Chapter 10, which presents also the final conclusions of this study.

This thesis is concerned with the ways in which international law regulates state and individual complicity. Complicity is a derivative form of responsibility that links an accomplice to wrongdoing by a principal actor. Whenever complicity is prohibited, certain questions arise about the scope and structure of the complicity rule. To answer these questions, this thesis proposes an analytical framework in which complicity rules may be assessed, and defends a normative claim as to their optimal structure. This framework and normative claim anchor the thesis’ analysis of complicity in international law. The thesis shows that international criminal law regulates individual complicity in a comprehensive way, using the doctrines of instigation and aiding and abetting to inculpate complicit participants in international crimes. These doctrines are marked by the breadth of the complicit conduct prohibited, a standard of knowledge in the fault required of the accomplice, and an underused nexus requirement between the accomplice’s acts and the principal’s wrong. In contrast, international law’s regulation of state complicity was historically marked by an absence of complicity rules. In respect of state complicity in the wrongdoing of another state, international law now imposes both specific and general complicity obligations, the latter prohibiting states from aiding or assisting another state in the commission of any internationally wrongful act. In respect of the ways that states participate in harms caused by non-state actors, the traditional normative structure of international law, which imposed obligations only on states, foreclosed the possibility of regulating the state’s participation as a form of complicity. As that traditional normative structure has evolved, so the possibility of holding states responsible for complicity in the wrongdoing of non-state actors has emerged. More and more, both the wrongs that international actors commit, and the wrongs they help or encourage others to commit, matter.

Every state may face a bid for protection in embassies or consulates from persons looking for a shelter in dangerous situations to their lives and safety. Even though diplomatic asylum is more peculiar to Latin America region, no State is prevented from such seekers. Practical examples show that diplomatic asylum helped to safe thousands of people in countries where instability of governments exist, during wars or in situations where no other alternative of protection was available. Grant of diplomatic asylum is a problematic issue because it raises question which value should prevail: inviolability of premises or non interference into internal affairs, protection of human rights or sovereignty of State. This master thesis attempts to find out what is the current position of diplomatic asylum in the context of public international law and on what grounds it could be granted in embassies and consulates. For this aim, the thesis is focused on the evolution and main features of diplomatic asylum, on its relation with regional and universal international law instruments, on dominating positions to diplomatic asylum in the case law. International treaties, state practice and various positions of legal writers were analyzed in order to reveal grounds for granting diplomatic asylum. In the States where diplomatic asylum is recognized, it is granted according to the existing legal regulation. In the States where diplomatic asylum is not considered as legal institute, it is granted on... [to full text]
Kiekviena valstybė savo ambasadose ar konsulatuose gali sulaukti asmenų prašančių prieglobsčio dėl gresiančio pavojaus gyvybei ar saugumui. Nors diplomatinis prieglobstis yra būdingesnis Lotynų Amerikos regionui, nė viena valstybė nėra apsaugota nuo tokio prašymo. Praktiniai pavyzdžiai rodo, kad diplomatinis prieglobstis padėjo išgelbėti tūkstančius gyvybių ten, kur vykdavo dažna politinės valdžios kaita, per karus, ar tokiose situacijose, kur nebuvo galima rasti jokios kitos apsaugos. Diplomatinio prieglobsčio suteikimas yra problematiškas klausimas, kadangi nėra aišku, kam turėtų būti teikiama pirmenybė: atstovybės patalpų neliečiamybei ar nesikišimo į valstybės vidaus reikalus principui, žmogaus teisių apsaugai ar valstybės suverenitetui. Šiuo magistro darbu siekiama išsiaiškinti diplomatinio prieglobsčio svarbą tarptautines teisės kontekste, kokie yra galimi pagrindai šiam prieglobsčiui suteikti. Šiam tikslui pasiekti, didelis dėmesys skiriamas diplomatinio prieglobsčio vystymuisi ir pagrindiniams bruožams, jo santykiui su regioniniais ir visuotiniais tarptautines teises dokumentais, dominuojančia pozicija teismų praktikoje. Pagrindams diplomatiniui prieglobsčiui rasti buvo analizuojamos tarptautinės sutartys, šalių praktika ir skirtingos autorių nuomonės. Tose šalyse, kur diplomatinis prieglobstis yra pripažįstamas, jis yra suteikiamas pagal esamą teisinį reguliavimą. Kitose šalyse, nepripažįstančiose diplomatinio prieglobsčio kaip teisinio instituto, jis yra suteikiamas... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Thesis (LLD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
Includes bibliography
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The existential crisis of the international regime of criminal law is arguably a thing of the past. This is confirmed through a growing body of positive law and the existence of various international criminal courts, notably the permanent International Criminal Court which has been in operation since 2002. Moreover, it is significant that international criminal law (“ICL”) is developing towards increased domestic enforcement, in particular as a result of the complementarity regime envisioned by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. States have generally been receptive and cooperative towards international criminal norms as well as the structures of international criminal justice. As a result international criminal laws are increasingly being transformed into national law and enforced by states on the domestic level. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the abovementioned developments, the characteristics of ICL and certain key concepts. In lieu of the upward trajectory of ICL’s development, the thesis aims to determine whether ICL exerts an influence which holds ‘transformative value’. Chapter 3 unpacks this concept by delineating the different meanings afforded to transformation and identifying the reticent characteristics of transformative change, especially the underlying importance of values during processes of transformation. Transformative value is conceptualised broadly as the product and potential of the type of change that holds some utility for the civitas maxima (or the community of mankind). In Part II, ICL’s transformative value is investigated from a historical and global perspective with emphasis on the purposes, values and politics of international criminal justice. Chapter 4 focuses on the Nuremberg IMT and the trial of Adolf Eichmann. It is submitted that these trials produced a paradigm shift that represents the transformative foundation of modern ICL. Chapter 5 investigates the purposes and aspirations of modern ICL with reference to its underlying assumptions as well as its objectives, the latter which may be found in positive law and the jurisprudence of international criminal courts. The research suggests that ICL is disposed towards objectives which are unique in comparison to those of domestic criminal law. While it cannot be denied that punishment under ICL is predominantly a backward-looking exercise in the tradition of domestic criminal law retributivism, ICL is somewhat removed from this paradigm due to its purpose- and value-driven nature. ICL is also expressive, normative and forward-looking in various respects. Individual criminal liability is however not universally accepted as an appropriate response to collective violence. This is partly a result of ICL’s endemic political dependency. Chapter 6 addresses the impact of politics on ICL’s transformative value. ICL is closely associated with liberal-legalist ideals which essentially promote the interests of individuals. Although it constitutes an important element of ICL’s transformative value, this political influence exposes ICL to criticism and may exert a disruptive influence on its transformative mandate. In this latter respect it is noted that ICL remains somewhat controversial and subject to the general limitations of the decentralised and state-dominated international legal system. In Part III, ICL’s transformative value is investigated using South Africa as a case study, with particular reference to its transitional- and post-transitional periods. Chapter 7 provides a domestic perspective of ICL’s transformative value by investigating the interactions of ICL and the South African legal system, particularly the value of the transformation of ICL into national law. In this regard the impact of Constitutional provisions and national legislation pertaining to ICL are considered, as well as a number of cases related to matters of international criminal justice. It is argued that international criminal norms may promote human values over state authority and political interests in the domestic context. Domestic courts may serve as ‘engine rooms’ for transformative change through more effective enforcement of those international criminal norms that have been ‘transformed’ into national law through implementation legislation. The permeation of international criminal norms into the domestic sphere represents a foray of universal values into an area traditionally dominated by sovereign might and holds potential for promoting the interests of individuals as well as for the institutionalisation of human rights. Yet, as illustrated by the current rift between the ICC and the African Union, international and regional political affiliations may influence the ability of a state to meet its obligations towards international criminal justice. In Part IV (Chapter 8), it is submitted that ICL is historically and ontologically aimed at change that is both backward-looking (repressive) and forward-looking (normative) as well as beneficial in a communitarian sense. ICL’s transformative value derives from the value-and purpose-driven nature of international criminal norms, the political nature of international criminal justice and also from the interaction between international law and domestic legal systems. ICL may be viewed as an authoritative expression of the norms and values of the international community. As such, ICL and its institutions may be viewed not only as a means of punishing the perpetrators of international crime, but also as part of the spearhead towards a desired alternative to the historical and present reality characterised by injustices which have gone unabated under the system of traditional Westphalian sovereignty. As egregious forms of the aforementioned injustices, macro criminality and impunity undermine the protection of internationally recognised individual rights. ICL seeks to remedy this through impacting on those individuals that have not yet acceded to the emergent universal consciousness of the majority in the international community. It is further argued that ICL’s transformative impact is not confined to the “hard” impact of the application of substantive ICL in international and domestic courts. The international criminal justice system as a whole also produces a normative impact through a purpose-driven association with international values and certain political preferences. This thesis offers a new way of thinking about the value, potential and limitations of the ICL regime, as well as the role of politics in international criminal justice.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die eksistensiële krisis van die internasionale strafregbestel is stellig iets van die verlede. Dít word bevestig deur die toenemende hoeveelheid positieweregsmateriaal en die bestaan van verskeie internasionale strafhowe, in die besonder die permanente Internasionale Strafhof wat sedert 2002 in werking is. Daarbenewens is dit beduidend dat internasionale strafreg (hierna ‘ISR’) na binnelandse toepassing begin verskuif, bepaald as gevolg van die komplementariteitsregime wat die Rome Statuut van die Internasionale Strafhof beoog. State is oor die algemeen ontvanklik vir, en tegemoetkomend jeens, internasionale strafnorme sowel as die strukture van internasionale strafregspleging. Gevolglik word internasionale strafwette al hoe meer tot in nasionale wette getransformeer en binnelands deur state toegepas. Hoofstuk 2 bied ’n oorsig van bogenoemde ontwikkelings, die kenmerke van ISR en bepaalde kernbegrippe. In die lig van die opwaartse ontwikkelingstrajek van ISR, het dié tesis ten doel om te bepaal of die invloed wat ISR uitoefen, oor ‘transformasiewaarde’ beskik. Hoofstuk 3 ondersoek hierdie begrip deur die verskillende betekenisse van transformasie uiteen te sit en die versweë kenmerke van transformerende verandering, veral die onderliggende belang van waardes in die transformasieproses, te bepaal. Transformasiewaarde word in die breë verstaan as die produk en potensiaal van die soort verandering wat een of ander nut het vir die civitas maxima (of die gemeenskap van die mensdom). In deel II word die transformasiewaarde van ISR uit ’n historiese en internasionale hoek ondersoek, met die klem op die doel, waardes en politiek van internasionale strafregspleging. Hoofstuk 4 konsentreer op die Neurenberg- internasionale militêre tribunaal en die verhoor van Adolf Eichmann. Daar word aangevoer dat hierdie verhore ’n paradigmaverskuiwing teweeggebring het wat die transformerende grondslag van moderne ISR gelê het. Hoofstuk 5 verken die doelwitte en aspirasies van moderne ISR aan die hand van die onderliggende aannames en oogmerke daarvan. Laasgenoemde is te vinde in die positiewe reg en regsleer van internasionale strafhowe. Die navorsing doen aan die hand dat die oogmerke van ISR uniek is in vergelyking met dié van binnelandse strafreg. Hoewel straf ingevolge ISR onteenseglik ’n hoofsaaklik terugblikkende oefening in die vergeldingstradisie van nasionale strafreg is, is ISR tog ietwat verwyderd van hierdie paradigma vanweë die doel- en waardegedrewe aard daarvan. ISR is in baie opsigte ook ekspressief, normatief en toekomsgerig. Individuele strafregtelike aanspreeklikheid word egter nie allerweë as ’n toepaslike reaksie op kollektiewe geweld aanvaar nie. Dít is deels ’n gevolg van die endemiese politieke afhanklikheid van ISR. Hoofstuk 6 handel derhalwe oor die impak van politiek op die transformasiewaarde van ISR. ISR hou ten nouste verband met liberaal-legalistiese ideale wat in wese individue se belange bevorder. Hoewel dit ’n belangrike element van die ISR-transformasiewaarde uitmaak, stel hierdie politieke invloed ISR ook bloot aan kritiek, en kan dit ’n ontwrigtende uitwerking op die transformasiemandaat daarvan hê. In dié verband word daarop gelet dat ISR ietwat omstrede bly, sowel as onderworpe aan die algemene beperkinge van die gedesentraliseerde en staatsoorheerste internasionale regstelsel. In deel III word die transformasiewaarde van ISR aan die hand van Suid-Afrika as gevallestudie ondersoek, met bepaalde verwysing na die oorgangs- en na-oorgangstydperke van die land. Hoofstuk 7 bied ’n binnelandse beskouing van die transformasiewaarde van ISR deur ondersoek in te stel na die wisselwerking tussen ISR en die Suid-Afrikaanse regstelsel, veral die waarde van die transformasie van ISR tot in die nasionale reg. In hierdie verband word daar besin oor die impak van grondwetlike bepalings en nasionale wetgewing met betrekking tot ISR, sowel as ’n aantal hofsake in verband met aangeleenthede van internasionale strafregspleging. Daar word aangevoer dat internasionale strafnorme in binnelandse verband straks mensewaardes bo staatsgesag en politieke belange bevorder. Binnelandse howe dien moontlik as ‘enjinkamers’ vir transformerende verandering, deur daardie internasionale strafnorme wat deur inwerkingstellingswetgewing tot in die nasionale reg ‘getransformeer’ is, doeltreffender toe te pas. Die deurdringing van internasionale strafnorme tot in die binnelandse sfeer stel ’n verskeidenheid universele waardes bekend op ’n gebied wat tradisioneel deur soewereine mag oorheers is, en hou potensiaal in vir die bevordering van individuele belange sowel as vir die institusionalisering van menseregte. Soos die huidige skeuring tussen die Internasionale Strafhof en die Afrika-unie egter toon, kan internasionale en streek- politieke bande ’n invloed hê op ’n staat se vermoë om sy verpligtinge teenoor internasionale strafregspleging na te kom. In deel IV (hoofstuk 8) word aangevoer dat ISR histories en ontologies afgestem is op terugblikkende (onderdrukkende) én toekomsgerigte (normatiewe) verandering, sowel as verandering wat een of ander gemeenskapsvoordeel inhou. Die transformasiewaarde van ISR spruit uit die waarde- en doelgedrewe aard van internasionale strafnorme, die politieke aard van internasionale strafregspleging, sowel as die wisselwerking tussen internasionale reg en binnelandse regstelsels. ISR kan as ’n gesaghebbende openbaring van die internasionale gemeenskap se norme en waardes beskou word. As sodanig, is ISR en die instellings daarvan nie net ’n middel om die plegers van internasionale misdaad te straf nie, maar ook deel van die strewe na ’n wenslike alternatief vir die historiese én huidige realiteit, wat gekenmerk word deur onregte wat ongebreideld onder die stelsel van tradisionele Wesfaalse soewereiniteit voortduur. Makrokriminaliteit en strafloosheid, synde uiterste vorme van voormelde onregte, ondermyn die beskerming van internasionaal erkende individuele regte. ISR beoog om dít reg te stel deur ’n invloed uit te oefen op daardie individue wat nóg nie die ontluikende universele bewustheid van die meerderheid in die internasionale gemeenskap openbaar nie. Daar word voorts betoog dat die transformerende impak van ISR nie tot die ‘harde’ impak van die toepassing van substantiewe ISR in internasionale en binnelandse howe beperk is nie. Die stelsel van internasionale strafregspleging in die geheel het ook ’n normatiewe impak deur middel van ’n doelgedrewe verbondenheid aan internasionale waardes en bepaalde politieke voorkeure. Hierdie tesis bied ’n nuwe denkwyse oor die waarde, potensiaal en beperkings van die ISR-bestel, sowel as die rol van politiek in internasionale strafregspleging.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin for financial support
Stellenbosch University for financial support

In recent years there has been a likely increase in the incidence of decommissioning of offshore oil and gas installations and considerable dissension has arisen over the legal aspects of decomissioning. There is controversy as to the applicable rules of international law. There is also dissension as to adequacy of both international and state laws and practices in providing for the various interests identified by international law itself as vital to any consideration of the manner in which disused installations ought to be disposed of. The thesis therefore examines the international legal regime of the continental shelf, on which most offshore oil and gas installations are located. There is also a review of relevant principles of the law of the sea as well as other maritime zones known to international law. A comparative study is undertaken of law and practice on abandonment in six jurisdictions, selected as fairly representative of oil-producing regions of the world. Those jusrisdictions are Australia, Kuwait, Nigeria, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. From the analysis, it hoped to ascertain representative state practice on abandonment. In view of the issue within the abandonment controversy as to whether or not Article 60(3) UNCLOS and the IMO Guidelines 1989 had become customary international law rules there is analysys of the concept of customary international law. Following that analysis, a model or paradigm is developed for use in assessing the emergence of new norms of customary international law. The objective is that the emergence of the new model will in the future enable the objective, expeditious and forthright assessment of contended rules of customary international law. The work goes further to consider whether the IMO Guidelines achieved a strategic balancing of the contending interests set out in Article 60 (3) and tries to postulate the reasons why those rules and Guidelines failed following the Brent Spar incident. Aspects of the legal-economic theory of regulatory capture are considered as apposite. The work concludes by identifying new and emerging trends in relation to abandonment practices and concludes with a postulation and as well as proposals as to how abandonment is expected to develop into the future.

This work develops a means to encourage states to take advantage of the flexibilities of compulsory licensing in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) which promotes access to medicines in a public health emergency. In pursuing this solution, the precautionary approach (PA) and the structure of risk analysis have been adopted as a means to build a workable reading of TRIPS and to help states embody the flexibilities of intellectual property (IP). This work argues for a PA reading of TRIPS and that states have the precautionary entitlements to determine an appropriate level of health protection from the perspective of “State responsibility” in international law. A philosophical review is conducted followed by the examination of existing international legal instruments including the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, the WHO International Health Regulations, the Codex Alimentarius, and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The PA has been found to have a pervasive influence on risk regulation in international law, yet the application is fraught with fragmentations in different legal regimes. In order to reach a harmonious interpretation and application of the PA in the WTO, the legal status of PAs of different WTO instruments have been analysed. Further, a comparative study on PAs in terms of legal status in the exemptions of the WTO and TRIPS obligations has been proposed. The political and moral basis for compulsory licencing in a public health emergency has been bolstered through the interpretation and the creation of legal status of the PA in WTO/TRIPS law.

This thesis is concerned with the progressive development of international enforcement. In effect, it explores the normative pull of international law and its influence on compliance with international environmental obligations. Moreover, it looks to the notion of progress in international law and assesses its influence within the sphere of international enforcement. In recent decades, the effect of contemporary environmental challenges on the enjoyment of various values and rights have become more apparent. It is in light of this present situation that this thesis explores the progressive development of international enforcement. Furthermore, it is in light of this situation that the thesis makes a claim for enhanced compliance with international environmental obligations. The thesis main argument is that the normative pull of international law can increase the effectiveness of international enforcement within the context of some international environmental obligations. Furthermore, the thesis posits that looking to the notion of progress in international law can advance an understanding of how the normative pull impacts the authority and legitimacy of international enforcement measures. To that end, it is argued that the notion of progress in international law, by coinciding with authority in international law, justifies coercive enforcement actions; and further, that the notion of progress, by influencing the legitimacy of international enforcement, contributes to the necessity of compliance. In effect the notion of progress in international law, therefore, has the capacity to influence compliance with international environmental obligations. In order to contextualise the theoretical arguments and assumptions made, the thesis looks to two international environmental obligations: The obligation to avert the cause of climate change and the obligation to preserve and protect the marine environment.

Despite the general prohibition of using inter-state force imposed by Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, force has been used under the auspices of self-defence, collective security and humanitarian crises. Such use of force has brought challenges to international law regarding its existence and efficacy. Although no state has denied the validity of such prohibition, many attempts have been made to legitimise use of such force on different grounds, namely exception, expansion and explanation. Unlike Public international law, Islamic law of Nations (Siyar) does not provide for a general prohibition of use of force but recognises circumstances in which such force can be legitimately used. The compatibility of these conflicting provisions of legitimate inter-state use of force offered by these two systems are significant for the prevention of aggressive use of force. The assessment of legitimacy of these conflicting provisions shall reveal where the legitimacy lies - is it in Islamic international law or Public international law or both or none of them? The results of the legitimacy assessment demonstrate that these two systems could sit in plural fashion by complementing each other’s legitimacy-deficits. However, the legitimacy and compatibility of Public international law and Islamic international law significantly depend on the development of an underlying pluralistic legal framework of international law with a healthy dose of legitimacy. Therefore, a comparative analysis of these two systems reveals the extent to which a complementary legal framework could be compatible and legitimate. The comparative analysis of the legitimacy of use of force in Public international law and Islamic international law includes examination of classical and contemporary sources to identify the existing legitimacy deficits of the two systems. The analysis follows on an inquiry into the the compatibility of these potentially two conflicting legal systems to complement each other. In this regard, the research expands on another inquiry into how the existing legitimacy deficits of the two systems could be overcome. Generally, this thesis seeks to address three fundamental and interrelated research questions, namely - (1) To what extent use of force in Public international law and Islamic international law is legitimate? (2) How the legitimacy deficits of Public international law and Islamic international law could be overcome? (3) Whether use of force in Public international law and Islamic international law can be compatible in modern world to secure higher degree of legitimacy?

Includes bibliographical references
Edward Snowden is a hero. In 2013, he leaked what can arguably be considered as the greatest quantity of classified and top - secret foreign intelligence in history. The leak revealed the extent of pervasive global government surveillance that has been and continues to be conducted by foreign intelligence agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA) in the United States and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in the United Kingdom. His actions have led to international security sector reform of the international regulation of foreign intelligence liaison. Citizen Four, the 2015 Oscar award-winning documentary, is the story of Snowden. When asked by Glen Greenwald and Laura Poitras, the journalist and documentarian who covered his journey , why he did what he did, Snowden's response was that : '[I]t all comes down to state power against the people's ability to meaningfully oppose that power .. . if the policy switches that are the only thing that restrain these states were changed, you couldn't meaningfully oppose these ... that hardened me into action.' When closing a TED talk on how we take back the internet, Snowden's idea worth sharing was that: '... [D]emocracy may die behind closed doors but we as individuals are born behind those same closed doors ... We don't have to give up our privacy to have good government ... We don't have to give up our liberty to have security ... By working together, we can have both open government and private lives ... . ' The relationship between state power and people's opposition, the individual and democracy, privacy and good government, liberty and security are themes that run throughout this dissertation. They are thematic relationships that underlie the importance of the international regulation of foreign intelligence liaison. The international regulation of foreign intelligence liaison will continue to be shaped by these relationships. Chapter I picks up on these themes by reviewing the international regulation of foreign intelligence liaison as a phenomenon. Part II defines foreign intelligence, part III sets up the objectives of a regime for international law in liberal democracies, part IV recognises the challenges to effective oversight of foreign intelligence agencies and part V maps out different reasons for and uses and forms of foreign intelligence liaison. A core argument is that the inevitable abuse and misuse of foreign intelligence liaison should be regulated through a horizontal accountability mechanism as an international best practice. Chapter II focuses on the international regulation of foreign intelligence liaison through a legal analysis. It draws on the themes by summarising (part II) and critiquing (part III) two landmark judgments having the potential to set an international best - practice precedent that contributes to the international regulation of foreign intelligence liaison. The core argument is that communications interception warrants should be regulated by judicial pre-authorisation. This is a practical application of Chapter I's core theoretical argument mentioned above. Chapter III develops these themes by analysing the international regulation of foreign intelligence liaison through recommendations. Part II explores the regulation of signals intelligence (SIGINT) in South Africa. Part III sets out the national and regional applications of art 17 of the ICCPR with regard to private communications. Finally, by summarising and applying the core arguments of Chapters I and II to Chapter III, part IV recommends legal reform through a General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill 2015 (the Bill).

Includes abstract.
Includes bibliographical references.
The end-goal of this study is to promote a bottom up reconstruction of international law. This implies, first, that reconstruction is necessary, and, second, that such reconstruction has substantive merit. As humanity heads into the future in 'Lifeboat Earth', a number of global storms are brewing, ranging from catastrophic environmental degradation to an economic meltdown and political instability, accompanied by grave human suffering – all of which can be addressed only through ecumenical cooperation at a global level. This, in turn, presupposes a global system of regulation. Thus far, the only regime available has been international law. Hence, it is imperative that it is (or becomes) justifiable, persuasive and relevant for all its participants and recipients. The study construes this to mean that international law must be cosmopolitan, that is, globally relevant and counter-hegemonic, and thereby emancipatory, which signifies a normative order wherein human potential can flourish.

Deference in international human rights law has provoked animated discussion, particularly the margin of appreciation doctrine of the European Court of Human Rights. Many commentators describe the practice of deference but do not explain how it affects judicial reasoning. Some approve characteristics of deference but do not provide a justification to defend the practice against criticism. Others regard deference as a danger to human rights because it betrays the universality of human rights or involves tribunals either failing to consider a case properly or missing an opportunity to set human rights standards. This thesis employs a different approach by focussing on deference as the practice of assigning weight to reasons for a decision on the basis of external factors. This approach draws on theories of second-order reasoning from the philosophy of practical reasoning. The thesis offers a conceptual account of deference that accords with the practice not only of the European Court of Human Rights, but also the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Committee. Additionally the thesis presents a normative account of deference, that the role of these tribunals entails permitting a measure of diversity as states implement international human rights standards. Deference in international human rights law then is the judicial practice of assigning weight to the respondent states’ reasoning in a case on the basis of three factors: democratic legitimacy, the common practice of states and expertise. This affects judicial reasoning by impacting the balance of reasons in the proportionality assessment. The account defended in this thesis dispels concerns that deference is a danger to human rights, whilst providing a theory that justifies the practice of the tribunals. The thesis thus provides the contours of a doctrine of deference in each of the three international human rights systems.

In a world shaped by the simultaneous forces of globalization and fragmentation, very few armed conflicts remain isolated from any foreign involvement and confined to the territory of one State. On the contrary, many begin as internal conflicts that gradually acquire international characteristics of varying degree and nature. Yet, the law of armed conflict forces each such conflict into one of two legal categories: it must either be a non-international, or an international armed conflict. Accordingly, the prevailing approach in the literature is to examine what type of conflict, if any, corresponds to a certain situation in reality at a given time. In contrast, this thesis opts for a dynamic approach, focussing on the combination of factors that transform a prima facie non-international armed conflict into an international armed conflict. It argues that four such modalities of internationalization have emerged thus far: (1) outside intervention; (2) State dissolution; (3) wars of national liberation; and (4) relative internationalization by way of recognition of belligerency, unilateral declarations, or special agreements. Since some situations feature more than two conflict parties, the thesis puts forward an autonomy-based interpretive model, which enables to determine whether such situations should be seen as a single internationalized armed conflict or a number of independent international and non-international armed conflicts. On the basis of this comprehensive map of conflict internationalization, the thesis turns to the effects brought about by this process. It analyses two areas of the law of armed conflict considered to be regulated differently in the two respective types of conflict, namely matters of combatant status and belligerent occupation. It argues that fighters belonging to non-State armed groups participating in internationalized armed conflicts are in principle eligible for combatant status and it proposes an interpretive model for the determination whether they in fact meet the relevant criteria in practice. Finally, the thesis argues in favour of the applicability of the law of belligerent occupation to internationalized armed conflicts. To substantiate this claim, it delineates the temporal, geographical, and personal scope of the law of occupation in such conflicts. In its totality, the thesis analyses the meaning, process, and effects of conflict internationalization and on this basis argues for a particular interpretation of the concept of internationalized armed conflict in international law.

This thesis is concerned with ‘international criminal law’. It examines the historical development of this body of law. This thesis also examines the record of enforcement of international criminal law. Historically the enforcement of international criminal law has primarily been a matter for states. States possess the capacity and lawful means of coercion necessary to enforce the criminal law. On occasions states have acted in concert with other states to enforce international criminal law by means of international criminal tribunals.

This dissertation develops a historical and theoretical reconstruction of the category and praxis of extraterritoriality in the fields of International Relations and Public International Law. The analysis first addresses the dominant Neo-Liberal tradition and its focus on the concept of 'judicial globalisation', before engaging with critical and Marxist studies that rely on imperialism and capitalism as explanatory phenomena. In response, the thesis argues that extraterritoriality is a political process, covering a set of jurisdictional struggles determined by contested social property relations. As legal strategies of accumulation, these struggles can neither be explained by a chronologically and discursively progressive deterritorialising world order, through which they emerge as depoliticised events, nor by structural and functional theories of capitalist or Western imperialism that narrowly assume their logic and behaviour. This argument emerges from the analysis of three historical case studies: 16th to 17th century Spain, 17th to 18th century France, and 19th century Britain. Each case, set in its international context, evinces the role of specific intellectual debates, juridical institutions and legal strategies of accumulation in shaping contending extraterritorial regimes and legal world orders. Thereby, the thesis reformulates a Political Marxist approach as a historical sociology that places the actors and politics of international legal processes at the forefront of the history of Public International Law. This approach enables a non-determinist understanding of contemporary extraterritoriality. It dissociates its analysis from a naturalised history of judicial globalisation and from a monolithic history of capitalism, to resituate extraterritorial practices in a more open and contested field in between those of International Relations and Public International Law. In conclusion, examining the politics of extraterritoriality exposes Public International Law as a practical site of struggle between legal strategies of expansion, accumulation and resistance. This historical and theoretical reconstruction asserts the political legitimacy and agency of otherwise excluded legal actors and ideas, affected by and involved in the multiple transitions in the forms of sovereign jurisdiction and territorial control.

This thesis addresses the legal challenges arising in the context of the ‘fragmentation or unity of public international law’. The question of the so-called fragmentation of public international law mainly refers to the phenomenon of diversification and expansion of public international law. In recent years, the proliferation of international bodies entrusted with the task of monitoring States’ compliance with their international obligations has increased the possibility of conflicting interpretations of similar or identical rules of international law. In this context, it is claimed that international courts with limited ratione materiae and personae jurisdiction fragment international law and threaten its unity. This thesis examines the question of the fragmentation of public international law from the perspective of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). In the view of the present author, the European Court has developed the autonomous interpretative principle of taking cognisance of public international law norms when interpreting the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The ECtHR employs this interpretative principle in a fashion that is distinct from other seminal interpretative principles, namely the so-called comparative interpretation, the dynamic interpretation and the principle of effectiveness. Furthermore, this thesis provides in depth analysis of the ECtHR’s legal reasoning. It reaches conclusions on the type of public international law norms that the ECtHR takes into account and the conditions a norm must satisfy to qualify as ‘relevant’ and ‘applicable in the relations between the parties’. This thesis also provides an overall assessment of the different uses of public international law norms in the ECtHR’s reasoning, when expanding or restricting the scope of the rights and freedoms of the ECHR. It stresses the importance of the ECtHR’s practice of relying upon public international law norms in order to (re-)interpret the ECHR and overrule its previous case-law. Finally, this thesis explores the boundaries that should be set to restrict the impact of other relevant public international law norms on the construction of the ECHR. The study concludes that, in principle, the ECtHR does not threaten the unity of international law, but reads the ECHR harmoniously to public international law. The findings of this thesis also furnish evidence that the ECtHR has competence to pronounce on questions relating to international law and that, on certain occasions, it develops and enriches the scope and content of international law.

Just as the actions of individuals often conflict with the legally protected interests of others, States may embark on activities which jeopardize the integrity of other States' rights. The new relationship evolving between the risk-creators and the potential victims is governed by social responsibilities as well as rules of law.
In the first part of the thesis, the concept of responsibility for internationally wrongful acts is contrasted with that of liability sine delicto. The examination seeks to define the principles upon which each is based and to determine the respective legal significance, scope and applicability. The analysis of both concepts is guided and influenced by the work of the International Law Commission.
The second part focusses on the law of outer space. A scrutiny of the relevant norms reveals which stage of development this fairly new subdivision of international law has reached with regard to responsibility and liability.

La thèse examine le cadre juridique de la restructuration de la dette souveraine vis-à-vis des créanciers privés et le rôle joué par le droit international public. La problématique est la suivante : Quel est le rôle actuel et potentiel du droit international public dans la restructuration de dettes souveraines ? Le cadre juridique actuel est fragmenté, avec une multitude d'acteurs et de pratiques. Le contexte politique influence le processus plus que des coutumes ou des principes généraux. La jurisprudence révèle les défis pour les cours nationales et les tribunaux internationaux. L'approche contractuelle incite les créanciers à un contentieux créatif, qui perturbe les négociations. L'arbitrage relatif aux investissements s'est révélé inadéquat. Les incohérences entre les différents fora entraînent des résultats insatisfaisants pour les créanciers et les débiteurs, au détriment de la sécurité juridique. Pour les perspectives d'avenir, les concepts de dette odieuse et d'état de nécessité ne peuvent offrir que des améliorations limitées. Leur contenu apparaît trop peu défini pour protéger une restructuration. La réforme du cadre juridique de la restructuration de la dette souveraine a mis en concurrence les approches fondées sur le droit international public et sur le droit privé. Cela a été le plus évident avec le processus à l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies et la modification concomitante des clauses contractuelles. Un cadre futur pourrait inclure une réduction de l'accès au contentieux, un rôle plus important reconnu aux droits de l'homme de la population débitrice et une action de l'Union européenne à mi-chemin entre les deux approches
This thesis considers the legal framework of sovereign debt restructuring in relation to private creditors and the relevant rules of public international law. The research question is : What is the actual and potential role of public international law in sovereign debt restructurings ? The current legal framework is fragmented, and a multitude of actors and practices coexist. Political expediency governs the process and the outcomes, with little room for customary rules or general principles of law. The case law reveals the challenges for both domestic courts and international tribunals in dealing with sovereign debt restructurings. The contractual approach provides incentives for creditors to attempt creative litigation, which disrupts negotiations. Investment arbitration has proved an inadequate response. The inconsistencies among the different fora bring about unsatisfactory results for creditors and debtors alike, let alone the implications for legal certainty. For the future prospects, the concepts of odious debt and state of necessity can provide limited improvements, at best. Their content and contours appear too ill-defined to be relied upon by States wishing to shield a restructuring. The reform of the legal framework for sovereign debt restructuring has set a competition between approaches based on public international law and on private law. This has been most evident with the process at the United Nations General Assembly and the concomitant modification of contractual clauses. A future framework could potentially feature less avenues for litigation, a focus on the human rights of the debtor population, and a middle ground shaped by the European Union

This thesis provides an account of the history and the status quo of the death penalty in China, along with an analysis of its possible reform in the future. It begins by looking at the history of the use of the death penalty in China from the pre-Qin-Han era to the present. It revolves around consideration of the international law context, the drawbacks of and challenges to the Chinese legal system concerning the use of the death penalty and the would-be approaches to death penalty reform in China against the background of the global abolition movement. It examines the debates between reformists/neo-liberal cosmopolitans and conservatives in Chinese legal history from the end of the Qing dynasty to present-day China. Concerning the international law context, this thesis analyses how China treats international treaties, especially capital punishment related human rights treaties (mainly the ICCPR), on the legislative and judicial level. It studies the factors that have influenced the abolition movement in European countries. The thesis examines the Chinese Criminal Law and the Criminal Procedure Law to find challenges and gaps concerning the use of the death penalty between the Chinese legal system and the requirements of international human rights treaties. It also analyses case studies and empirical studies of capital crimes. Subsequently, the work outlines a number of alternative punishments to the death penalty and possible approaches to reform. It also analyses the present impetus for reform of the death penalty in China from a socio-economic perspective. The thesis further examines Chinese public opinion concerning the reform/abolition of the death penalty, as reflected in various surveys conducted by the author herself, as well as other Chinese or foreign scholars, for which a detailed analysis is provided in Appendix 6. Finally some possible suggestions and solutions are provided for the future reform of the death penalty in China.

L'étude se propose d'analyser les rapports dialectiques entre le droit de tout Etat de procéder à l'aménagement de son territoire au moyen de la construction d'un ouvrage public et le droit international. L'accent est mis à la fois sur les rapports de structuration induits par le droit international (l'exercice unilatéral de souveraineté territoriale doit s'accommoder des droits et intérêts des Etats tiers) ainsi que sur la soumission de l'ensemble des opérations administratives conduites par l'Etat au droit international (expropriations, etc)
The study aims to analyse the various interactions between international law and the State's right to use its land, granted by its territorial sovereignty. The study provides numerous examples of these interactions (construction of public works by a riparian State of an international watercourse, legal effects attached to the construction of such public works under the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea, rights and obligations of multilateral development banks, etc)

Since the twentieth century, the proliferation of new States has not declined in the twenty first century. Several small territories have declared themselves as sovereign States by claiming statehood in international law. These developments have a significant measure in many respects of international law notions of self-determination, secession, recognition and de-colonisation. A State remains a primary subject of international law. Despite the fundamental legal framework on the creation of States enshrined in the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States 1933 (Montevideo Convention), the creation of States and unilateral secession remain part of the controversial and unsettled issues of international law. This is because of the legal and factual situation that evolves around the concept of State creation and unilateral secession. While the legal framework on State creation is in place, other new criteria continue to develop, alongside are the concepts of unilateral secession and self-determination. It therefore follows that in any given situation of contemporary international law, the concepts of State creation, secession and self-determination cannot be discussed in isolation. In this thesis, I will analyse the notions of statehood, secession and recognition. I will argue that in contemporary international law or post-colonial era, unilateral secession and satisfying the traditional criteria of statehood does not qualify the clamant entity to become a new State. Secondly, I will argue that although recognition is not a rule of customary international law, State practice on recognition and other suggested criteria play a significant role with regards to creation of States in international law. Thirdly, the Republic of Somaliland as a case study will be analysed against the criteria of statehood and the application thereof. The study will also provide a general analysis of a few specific cases of successful and unsuccessful attempts at secession.

Cette étude fait valoir, par l’incorporation du droit international et son application dans le système national islandais, illustré par les jugements de la Cour suprême d’Islande, que les limites posées par l’approche dualiste traditionnelle, tels que présentés communément dans la littérature académique islandaise, ont été poussées à leur extrême. On affirme que le principe de dualité des juridictions, tel qu’il est défini dans la littérature juridique, ne décrit pas de façon adéquate le lien réel et important entre le droit international et la loi nationale comme cela apparaît dans les « techniques d’incorporation interprétatives » effectivement utilisées par les cours islandaises. Notre étude fait valoir que l’impact substantif et normatif du droit international non incorporé comporte des éléments de l’approche moniste, se révèle plus complexe et excède de loin la simple description générale du principe dualiste
This study argues that, by the incorporation of international law into the Icelandic national system and its application on the domestic level, in particular as it appears in the judgments of the Supreme Court of Iceland, the limits set by the traditional dualist approach, as commonly presented in Icelandic academic literature, have been stretched to its outer limits. It is argued that the dualist principle, as defined and described in the legal literature, does not adequately describe the real and substantive relationship between international law and national law as it appears in the „interpretive incorporation techniques“ actually used by the Icelandic courts. It is argued that the real substantive and normative impact of unincorporated international law bears clear elements of the monist approach and is more complicated and far exceeds what is implied in the general description of and reference to the dualist principle

The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate the pattern of the rise and fall of inter-state arbitration as a means of international dispute settlement through the reflection of the legal doctrine over the past 100 years. The discussion will touch upon a number of basic issues related to the public international arbitral sector, such as the true nature of arbitration, as well as the origins of current-day arbitral practice, arbitral procedure, state practice, the legal and non-legal dispute dichotomy, jurisdiction of international tribunals, and the historical development of general inter-state arbitral mechanisms in the 20th century. Our examination will be conducted mainly in the light of the provisions of the various international instruments concerned with the peaceful settlement of international disputes adopted in the past century and also the views of leading legal writers and scholars on various aspects of the international arbitral process and state practice. It is interesting to note that despite the dramatic change in the level of utilisation of inter-state arbitration, within the domain of academic research, studies concerning the area of inter-state arbitration are rather scarce; the issue has been neglected. Instead, interest has shifted almost totally to arbitration in other fields and recent studies on arbitration are devoted to the settlement of disputes between states, commercial concerns and individuals. Public international arbitration in general is a means of dispute resolution that was able to deliver prior to the current decline in tribunal utilisation and is still capable of fulfilling an important role in the area of peaceful settlement of international disputes, despite the significant changes that have occurred to the fabric of the international community over the past 100 years and the various ideological, cultural and religious diversities that have emerged as a result (the Iran - USA Claims tribunal and the two awards in the Hanish Island arbitration are examples). However, it may be that its image needs to be polished and re-introduced (hence, a few suggestions as to possible ways of revitalising the public international arbitral sector are provided at the end of the general conclusion in Chapter Six). The study is divided into six main chapters, each covering a certain aspect of the issue under consideration. The first chapter is intended to provide the reader with a general background on the concept and nature of international arbitration, the origins of current arbitral practice and its historical evolution starting from the 19th century, as well as the main fundamental features of international arbitration which have made it an attractive means of settlement to states, namely, the parties' influence over the composition of the tribunal; their freedom in specifying the law(s) applicable; their freedom to specify the basic considerations with regard to the award; the possibility of secrecy: and the non-intervention by third parties into proceedings. Chapter Two will attempt to provide a general background on the rise and fall of international arbitral practice by reviewing the momentum of arbitral practice in the last two centuries in the domains of both the number of disputes submitted to arbitration during that period and also arbitral treaty practice, which has tailed off following the 2nd World War. The discussion in this respect will also include an examination of a number of possible factors behind states' disinclination to resort to arbitration, namely, the argument regarding the justiciability or otherwise of disputes; previous negative experiences with arbitration; the avoidance of the reaction of internal political factions within the state in the case of a non-favourable award; and the nature of dispute settlement by legal means. The examination will also reflect upon certain aspects of Soviet international law and practice concerning arbitration and also the practice of the so-called developing states in Africa and Asia. Chapter Three will be totally devoted to the state consent requirement. The discussion in this respect will examine the principle of state sovereignty with regard to its origins; its main internal and external aspects; and the compatibility of the granting of consent by states for the submission of their disputes to international tribunals with the doctrine of state sovereignty. Light will also be shed on the significance of state consent in the field of the peaceful settlement of disputes, and how consent to arbitration is expressed. In Chapter Four, light will be shed on the concept and nature of compulsory arbitration; the legal and non-legal dispute dichotomy with regard to its origins, theoretical dimensions and its implementation in actual dispute settlement and treaty practice. The discussion will also reflect on the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ by first discussing of all the voluntary means in which consent is expressed to the ICJ, and then examining the Court's compulsory jurisdiction under the Optional Clause. Chapter Five will focus on the historical background and procedural aspects of the past general inter-state arbitral mechanisms. Each chapter will be started with an introduction and followed by a conclusion and endnotes. A general summary and conclusion will follow in a separate chapter at the end of the thesis. The central topic of this thesis is arbitration; however, where necessary, our discussion may also include other means of dispute resolution from among those listed in Art. 33(1) of the UN Charter, especially, international adjudication via the ICJ. In this respect, since the dicta of the ICJ and arbitral tribunals on the issue of state consent to the jurisdiction of international tribunals are usually referred to by writers on consent to arbitration in an amalgamated matter, without distinction between the two areas, a similar approach will be adopted in our discussion on the issue. However, a distinction will be made with regard to the procedural and practical aspects of the granting of consent by states to each means. The discussion in the thesis is confined solely to the area of inter-state arbitration involving public international law disputes between states only. However, where relevant, mention will also be made of certain examples of disputes involving states and non- state parties.

This study explores the exercise of prosecutorial discretion during preliminary examinations at the International Criminal Court. The key questions it investigates are whether there is a secure legal and theoretical basis upon which such discretion can and should be exercised and whether the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court understands, develops and applies appropriate rules governing such discretion consistently. The study involves the analysis of various primary and secondary sources of law regulating the exercise of prosecutorial discretion. It begins by looking at the exercise of discretion at the national and international judicial systems to understand how their practices have informed and influenced the International Criminal Court Prosecutor, and then examines the provisions of the Rome Statute and its rules of evidence and procedure to determine the scope of the exercise of prosecutorial discretion. It also critically reviews the policy paper on preliminary examination adopted by the International Criminal Court Prosecutor. The study argues that, although the International Criminal Court Statute does not provide clear guidance on the exercise of prosecutorial discretion during preliminary examinations, there is a sufficient legal and theoretical basis upon which to exercise this discretion during preliminary examinations at the International Criminal Court. Article 42 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court, which provides for the independence of the Office of the Prosecutor is one such legal and theoretical basis. Thus, the Rome Statute clearly endorses the theory of prosecutorial neutrality. After expounding such a legal and theoretical basis, the thesis examines six case studies which represent six preliminary examinations conducted by the International Criminal Court Prosecutor in the conflicts in Uganda, Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire, Central African Republic, Kenya and Libya. The examination will answer the question whether the Prosecutor has exercised discretion in accordance with the spirit of the International Criminal Court Statute, and in a manner that would assuage claims that the Court is not neutral, especially in its dealing with African states. The analysis of these case studies shows that the Prosecutor has not exercised its discretion consistently and in a manner that can inspire public confidence in the administration of international criminal justice. To remedy this situation, the study recommends, among other things, the need for clarity on the exact roles of the Prosecutor and Pre-Trial Chambers during preliminary examinations, beyond the current practice where the Pre-Trial Chamber can only authorise the opening of proprio motu investigations. Second, the study recommends the review of the policy on the gravity of crimes. Although the policy paper on preliminary examination has clarified the fact that gravity involves both quantitative and qualitative analysis of victims of international crimes, it is not yet clear how to carry out gravity analysis. Third, the study proposes enhancing positive complementarity during preliminary examinations in order to encourage national efforts in the investigation and prosecution of international crimes. Finally, the study recommends that the decision to suspend or defer investigations or prosecutions in the 'interests of justice' under article 53 of the Rome Statute should be a shared responsibility between the Court and the United Nations Security Council.

Maintaining a fair balance between individuals’ interests and the public interest is arguably believed to be the most effective approach in serving the ultimate objective of copyright: to promote social, economic and cultural development for the benefit of both rightsholders and the public at large. Through this balanced approach, creativity can be maximised and thrive better than by tilting towards one or the other. In copyright law, such balance is reflected by the way in which the short-term grant of exclusive rights respects the long-term public interest represented by limitations and exceptions to copyright. Despite an unclear and non-uniform definition and scope, the importance of the public interest has been implicitly and explicitly recognised through disparate forms of safeguards in different jurisdictions. However, the last few decades have seen a rapid development of information technologies which, in turn, has contributed to an unparalleled legislative drive at international level towards overprotecting the interests of rightsholders. This has then left the public interest under-protected and now constitutes an imbalance of copyright. This thesis therefore examines legislative intervention into the international copyright regime in an attempt to ensure that the public interest is uniformly and mandatorily safeguarded at international level. In particular, it strives to establish an overarching public interest defence capable of protecting certain aspects of public values embedded in copyright works. In achieving this, the thesis examines the scope of the defence, what it should entail, and what aspects are to be taken into account in the course of formulating and giving effect to the defence. The substantive chapters investigate the public policy grounds, the right to freedom of expression and the international three-step test, i.e. the roles they play in shaping the latitude and operations of the defence, respectively. Finally, the thesis also evaluates different ways in which the defence can be incorporated into the international copyright regime in order to effectively counterbalance the rightsholder-centric tendency and restore the balance of copyright.

This thesis considers the intersection of international investment law and international human rights law in ICSID arbitration by reference to the ‘fragmentation’ of public international law. More specifically, it argues that it is possible to establish a procedural basis for a host state human rights defence in ICSID arbitration. Utilising a systemic conception of public international law driven by state consent, it is posited that regime conflict between international investment law and international human rights law in ICSID arbitration justifies the introduction of a host state human rights defence. By reference to the ICSID Arbitral Rules, this thesis establishes a viable basis for the introduction of international human rights law into ICSID arbitration by a host state. Finally, it is argued that a procedural basis for a host state human rights defence in ICSID arbitration has the ability to ‘de-fragment’ international investment law and international human rights law.

Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University,2004.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study exammes, m stages of development, the existing law regarding humanitarian intervention, problems in respect of this law and cases of intervention. More specifically, intervention in human rights abuses not breaching international peace and security but rather posing a so-called threat to peace is examined. This information is used to consider whether more adequate provision can be made regarding circumstances of intervention to stop situations of grave human rights abuses sooner. From the law regarding humanitarian intervention, it is evident that the institution of intervention is illegal under the present UN legal system. Yet, in a time when the human rights culture has become so important that it forms part of the basis of international law, effective intervention is not being authorised by the Security Council. As a result, other actors have been intervening in cases of grave human rights abuses. These interventions need to be appropriate and well managed. Since the protection of human rights is as valid in non-democracies, as in any democratic state form, the study finds that human rights will benefit from dependence on legitimate authority. Attributing more importance to the Uniting for Peace Resolution could expand the role of the General Assembly. Humanitarian intervention also needs to be coupled with a commitment to address the causes of human rights abuses through conflict resolution and social reconstruction. The study concludes with some criteria/guidelines for the establishment of the legitimacy of intervention.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is - binne 'n raamwerk van ontwikkelingstydperke - 'n ondersoek na die bestaande reg aangaande humanitêre ingryping, probleme tenopsigte daarvan en gevalle van ingryping. Veral ingrypings in menseregte-skendings wat nie internasionale vrede en sekuriteit skend nie, maar eerder 'n sogenaamde bedreiging vir vrede is, word ondersoek. Die inligting wat so bekom is, word gebruik om te oordeel of meer gepaste voorsiening gemaak kan word waarvolgens situasies van growwe menseregte-skendings deur ingryping gouer beëindig kan word. Die reg aangaande humanitêre ingryping toon dat ingryping onwettig is in die bestaande regsisteem van die Verenigde Nasies. In 'n tyd waarin menseregte so belangrik geword het dat dit ten grondslag lê van internasionale reg, word effektiewe ingrypings nogtans nie gemagtig deur die Veiligheidsraad nie. Gevolglik gryp ander partye in om teen situasies van growwe menseregte-skendings op te tree. Hierdie ingrypings moet daarom gepas wees en goed bestuur word. Aangesien die beskerming van menseregte net so geldig is in ander staatsvorms as in demokrasieë, bevind die studie dat menseregte sal baat daarby indien dit afhanklik is van legitieme gesag. Voorts kan die rol van die Algemene Vergadering aangaande die beskerming van menseregte uitgebrei word deur groter waarde te heg aan die "Uniting for Peace"-resolusie. Dit is verder nodig dat humanitêre ingryping gekoppel word aan 'n verbintenis om die oorsake van menseregteskendings aan te pak deur konflik-resolusie en sosiale heropbou. Ter afsluiting word riglyne neergelê om te help met die bepaling van die legitimiteit van . . mgrypmg.

The WTO is one piece in a complex network of international, regional and domestic legal systems and regulatory frameworks. The influences on the development of WTO law extend far beyond its own Members and institutions: domestic legal instruments have provided the inspiration for numerous WTO obligations while the rights and obligations under the covered agreements are frequently incorporated into the legal systems of the Membership. The WTO is home to numerous committees and working groups that also engage with other international bodies and their domestic counterparts. Transnational actors seek to take advantage of these networks, encouraging WTO law to develop in their favour. The interactions involved, however, are highly complex and unpredictable. By drawing on different models of causal explanation, it is possible to offer a perspective on the development of WTO law that accepts its role as part of a larger globalized process. Three different causal influences are identified: instrumental, systemic and constitutive. Together, they offer a prism through which to examine the development of WTO law as it responds to the behaviour of transnational actors, bridging gaps between international relations and law and, it is hoped, offering a convincing explanatory rationale for the way in which WTO law develops.

Rape is one of the most heinous and degrading crimes that exist. It attacks the victim's sense of human dignity and self-worth. Some argue that the crime of rape is akin to that of torture. The issue of rape is one that is experienced around the world; however, South Africa is one of the highest countries affected. This paper argues that South Africa is in contravention of its international obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, specifically with regards to the crime of rape and its relation to the crime of torture. This paper aims to prove the above statement through, first establishing a link between the crimes of rape and torture and that that this link is applicable in both international law and South African law. This paper will proceed to show that there are obligations, stemming from both international and domestic laws, on South Africa to take positive steps in preventing the crime of rape among private persons. This paper will demonstrate that through failing its obligation of due diligence in this regard, the state of South Africa fails to comply with the duties imposed upon it by international law.

On 30 October 2014 South Africa's Constitutional Court unanimously stated that the South African Police Service was obligated to investigate allegations of torture in Zimbabwe. This landmark decision, based on South Africa's international obligations and domestic legislation, is rooted in the Court's interpretation of universal jurisdiction and in particular its application of the presumption of the "anticipated presence" of the accused. The case, first heard in the North Gauteng High Court in 2012 before being taken on appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court, concerned allegations of torture against ZANU-PF officials and Zimbabwean police during the run-up to elections in 2007. This final judgment imposes a binding obligation on the South African Police Service to investigate the allegations, prior to any decision on further prosecution. This dissertation begins by providing a background to South Africa's implementation of the Rome Statute domestically before focusing on the theoretical framework of universal jurisdiction. This is followed by an examination of the South African jurisprudence, in particular the judgment of the Constitutional Court in National Commissioner of the South African Police Service v Southern African Human Rights Litigation Centre and Another. The Constitutional Court's decision to allow for the exercise of universal jurisdiction in absentia (otherwise known as "anticipated presence") must be located within the broader concept of jurisdiction. Anticipated presence is a controversial issue and this paper will explain both the Court's reasoning as well as possible implications of this judgment. The fight against impunity for perpetrators of international crimes, emphasised by both the Rome Statute and South Africa's own legislation, has been strengthened by this judgment. This paper will also examine the remaining areas of concern which were not addressed by the Constitutional Court. This Constitutional Court judgment will define the approach of South African courts in forthcoming cases concerning the application of the Rome Statute. Despite the Constitutional Court's failure to take all factors into account in its judgment, this landmark decision has changed the legal landscape considerably and will be a powerful tool to counter the culture of impunity.

Includes bibliographical references.
The Brundtland Report also defines sustainable development as “a process of change in which the use of resources, the directions of investments, the orientation of technological developments, and institutional change all enhance the potential to meet human needs both today and tomorrow.” This vague and broad definition relies on the notion that the world’s environment is a system where actions in one country can affect life on other continents. Examples of this include the 2010 Icelandic volcano eruption that affected air quality and travel in Europe, and the recent radiation detected in the United States after the earthquake and subsequent radiation leaks in Japan. The definition also implies that practically every aspect of our lives can have some effect, or can be relevant to, achieving a sustainable development goal. Most forms of production and consumption, key aspects of international trade, affect and can harm the environment. Thus, the issue is less about stopping these actions and more about making them less harmful to the environment and humankind. There will always be tension between forms of economic activity and environmental protection. However, trade is only one of many economic activities, and the WTO cannot be solely responsible for all aspects of the promotion of sustainable development and environmental protection. At its most general definition, international trade is the “economic interaction among different nations involving the exchange of goods and services.” It can lead to both economic growth and development. At its core, international trade involves the basic concept of supply and demand. Human needs and desires drive what will be in demand. This demand drives the need for a supply of that resource. Thus, the real question is what aspects of the current trading system, including the WTO, can be enhanced or changed to promote sustainable development. This paper aims to examine the relationship between the WTO and sustainable development. It further seeks to evaluate the ways in which the relationship has been successful and the ways in which it has been hindered. Finally, this paper looks to the future and suggests ways to enhance and change this relationship and more effectively protect the environment through the WTO.

The problem of piracy and armed robbery at sea has sharply risen in the last decades. As a result, shipping companies, governments, insurances and maritime organisations have tried to approach the problem in different ways, the employment of private maritime security companies being one of them. State navies do not have enough resources to cover the vast areas of the high seas. As a result, armed security teams are exercising traditional State functions to protect vessels from being attacked. This study aims to find the legal foundations in international public law for the employment of armed guards on-board of commercial or private vessels. Furthermore, legal questions about the seizing of pirates, the use of force, criminal jurisdiction on-board of ships and the carrying of weapons will be scrutinized. For this purpose, the applicability of the Geneva Conventions and other key documents of the international humanitarian law will be analysed such as the Montreux Document and the Draft International Convention on the Regulation, Oversight and Monitoring of Private Military and Security Companies. Moreover, relevant aspects of the UNCLOS rules will be highlighted. An additional chapter will review existing international and regional soft law standards, mainly developed by the shipping and the security industry. The analysis concludes that international law has not yet developed distinct rules for the use of private maritime security companies. Especially the UNCLOS does not deal with private actors in the fight against piracy at all. As a result, national law remains responsible for the creation of a comprehensive set of rules concerning the employment and the conduct of maritime security guards. In addition, the vast number of soft law guidance and standards are missing enforceable and effective mechanisms and cannot yet be seen as an alternative for national regulations.

This research reviews the application of the law on the right of refugee children to education and the challenges inhibiting this right. Radical changes in the legal framework protecting refugee children's right to education has occurred since South Africa became a democratic state in 1994. The enactment of international law into the 1994 Constitution contributed into the protection of various children right and insured equal access into the education system. However, refugee children have been prejudiced in the right to access education based on numerous challenges. The lack of access education for refugee children is an unconstitutional practice in schools rather than a legislative injustice. This paper uses journal reports, newspaper articles, academic writing on both national and international perspective on the infringement of education rights on refugee children. The findings provide clarity on unconstitutional practices and the legal standpoint on such practices. The right to education constitutes a valuable foundation for integration. South Africa is obligated by both national and international law to provide immediate education to refugee children.

Climate change is an inevitable scenario that already endangers millions of lives. The phenomenon occurs in an area of international law where there is an urgent need for international co-operation in order to solve the problem. It is a global problem that needs a global solution. Since treaty-based collaborations, aimed at battling the consequences of climate change, have been difficult to achieve or implement, the question arises whether the United Nations Security Council, with its ability to pass binding resolutions, could thus be a successful alternative to address the issues resulting from climate change. In contrast to conventional treatymaking, United Nations Security Council Resolution are often more efficient in their decision making as they require less compromise and can result in a stronger impact due to faster implementation.