international law
11 articles
Diplomatic Immunity: The Rules That Protect (and Sometimes Shield) Diplomats
Diplomatic immunity under the 1961 Vienna Convention protects foreign envoys from prosecution — but the system has limits, abuses, and reform debates worth understanding.
The Geneva Conventions: The Rules That Govern War
Understand the four Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, the legal protections they provide to civilians and prisoners of war, and how they are enforced.
The International Criminal Court: How Global Justice Works
The ICC prosecutes genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity for cases where national courts won't act. Here's how its jurisdiction, structure, and limits actually function.
International Humanitarian Law: The Rules of Armed Conflict
International humanitarian law governs warfare through the Geneva Conventions, protecting civilians, POWs, and the wounded while limiting the means of war. Here's how it works.
WTO and International Trade Law: Most-Favored-Nation and Dispute Settlement
The WTO governs $25 trillion in annual global trade through MFN rules, tariff bindings, and a dispute settlement system currently in crisis. Here's how the architecture actually works.
Maritime Law: UNCLOS and the Rules of the High Seas
UNCLOS divides the world's oceans into legal zones from territorial seas to the deep seabed. With disputes from the South China Sea to Arctic shipping routes, ocean law has never mattered more.
Refugee Law: The 1951 Convention and the Right to Asylum
The 1951 Refugee Convention defines who qualifies for protection and why. With 114 million forcibly displaced people globally, understanding refugee law has never been more critical.
International Sanctions: How Nations Use Economic Pressure
Sanctions are the primary non-military foreign policy tool. From UN Security Council mandates to OFAC's SDN list, here's how economic pressure is designed, implemented, and evaded.
Space Law: Outer Space Treaty and the Rules Beyond Earth's Atmosphere
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans sovereignty claims in space, but commercial mining and satellite megaconstellations are straining a legal framework built for the Cold War era.
Treaty Law: How Nations Make, Interpret, and Break International Agreements
The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties governs how international agreements are formed, interpreted, and terminated. Understanding treaty law reveals how international order holds together — and how it falls apart.
War Crimes: How International Law Defines and Prosecutes Atrocities
War crimes under international law range from targeting civilians to torture of prisoners. This guide covers ICC definitions, Nuremberg precedents, and how prosecution actually works.