All posts in the category: "International Law"

Piracy: Wrong signals - The Economist

As this article from The Economist points out, "The requirement to fight piracy is one of the oldest bits of international law." However, recent events have shown the world that there is no coherent legal framework for dealing with criminals operating in international waters, attacking ships from myriad ports. The conventional school of thought is that the nationality of the ship should determine who defends her. But the seas are so vast that no one nation can defend all of the commercial ships that fly its flag.  Read More »

Judge Awards $393 Million in Punitive Damages Against Cuba - California Punitive Damages

A Miami judge has awarded $1 Billion in damages, including $393 Million in punitive against Cuba, Fidel Castro, and (presumably) the estate of Che Guevara to a man who claims that the above mentioned trio are responsible for the death of his father.  The plaintiff claims that Guevara and others coerced his father into sucide shortly after the rebels seized power in the Cuban revolution.  Read More »

 Ginsburg Shares Views on Influence of Foreign Law on Her Court, and Vice Versa - The New York Times

In a controversial statement, Supreme Court of The United States Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg defended the use of foreign law by American Judges.  Ginsberg contends that a lack of reciprocity in recognizing foreign laws has led to the diminished influence of the United States. Ginsberg said the Canadian Supreme Court is "probably cited more widely abroad than the U.S. Supreme Court." She continued "You will not be listened to if you don’t listen to others.”   Read More »