International Law

US ‘will fight’ any International Criminal Court investigation of Americans or allies, says Bolton

National Security Adviser and former United Nations ambassador John Bolton on Monday reacted to the possibility that International Criminal Court will investigate alleged war crimes in Afghanistan with a threat to prosecute its judges and prosecutors.

Sep 11, 2018 4:15 PM CDT

India high court throws out law prohibiting gay sex in unanimous ruling

An law criminalizing gay sex in India was overturned Thursday by the country’s Supreme Court.

Sep 6, 2018 12:30 PM CDT

With political will, global community could solve refugee problem, says former UN official

There are more displaced people internationally now than at any point since World War II, says Alex Aleinikoff, a former Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees at the United Nations. But the problem is manageable, he says—if there's the political will to deal with the problem.

Aug 7, 2018 3:39 PM CDT

9th Circuit allows suit against border patrol agent on US soil when he fatally shot teen in Mexico

A federal appeals court has ruled that a border patrol agent who was on U.S. soil when he shot and killed a teenager in Mexico can be sued for the alleged Fourth Amendment violation. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 on Tuesday that border patrol…

Aug 7, 2018 3:15 PM CDT

Defenders of international human rights get support from ABA House

The ABA House of Delegates voted to affirm the association’s commitment to international human rights and the rule of law in two resolutions on Monday. Resolution 106A “condemns the harassment arbitrary arrest and detention, arbitrary disbarment, denial of due process, other ill-treatment and killings of judges, lawyers, other members of…

Aug 6, 2018 5:40 PM CDT

Poland’s top judge defies law that lowers retirement age

Despite Polish legislation that requires a third of its Supreme Court justices to retire based on their ages, they showed up to work this week.

Jul 5, 2018 10:43 AM CDT

International etiquette: Minding your manners when practicing abroad (podcast)

You may be confident of your ability to act with courtesy and professionalism in your home country. But with the array of cultural differences, social mores and business traditions you may encounter while traveling, how can you be sure you’re not offending clients and alienating foreign judges and arbiters?

Jun 25, 2018 7:05 AM CDT

Profile in Courage Award-winner to lead ABA Center for Global Programs

A former general counsel to the U.S. Navy who has been honored for his human rights advocacy was named on Monday to be the new director of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative, and will oversee the association's international human rights programs.

May 14, 2018 1:10 PM CDT

Parents of Otto Warmbier sue North Korea over death of their son

The parents of University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier have sued North Korea for the death of their son, who was detained for the alleged theft of a poster. The suit says Warmbier was tortured during a 17-month detention in North Korea that began in January 2016, report the Washington…

Apr 27, 2018 9:13 AM CDT

Supreme Court rules foreign corporations can’t be sued for alleged abuses under alien tort law

Foreign corporations can’t be defendants in suits for alleged human rights abuses under the Alien Tort Statute, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday. The high court ruled in a suit that accused Arab Bank and its New York branch of clearing transactions that aided terrorism and laundering money for…

Apr 24, 2018 10:23 AM CDT

Wife of detained Chinese lawyer marches to demand answers on his fate

The wife of a detained Chinese human rights lawyer is planning a 12-day walk from Beijing to the city where she believes her husband may be imprisoned. Li Wenzu says she doesn’t know whether her husband, Wang Quanzhang, is still alive, but she hopes her 100-kilometer walk will help get…

Apr 6, 2018 2:48 PM CDT

Women of the world: Meet 3 human rights lawyers fighting for change in the U.S. and around the globe

“The advantages for women in the human rights field are that the employers tend to pay greater attention to issues of equality, it can contribute to a sense of self-worth and there is often good camaraderie,” says Brittany Benowitz, director of the Justice Defenders Program for the ABA Center for Human Rights.

Apr 1, 2018 12:15 AM CDT

ABA calls for release of detained Maldives Supreme Court judge and chief justice

ABA President Hilarie Bass is calling for the release and reinstatement of the chief justice and another judge on the supreme court in the Maldives. Bass says in a statement that Maldivian Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Judge Ali Hameed were detained without due process. According to news…

Mar 14, 2018 10:36 AM CDT

Beirut barracks bombing victims and their families are awarded $920M judgment against Iran

Updated: A federal judge has awarded a $920 million default judgment to injured soldiers and to family members of service members who died in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut.

Mar 2, 2018 1:08 PM CST

Companies and their lawyers brace for wide-ranging EU data-privacy law

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation requires a company to gain consent to collect data through a clear, affirmative act that is freely given, specific and informed.

Mar 1, 2018 1:40 AM CST