We must redefine the norms and understandings of all refugees in the 21st century. The definition a refugee needs to be broadened and non-refoulment needs to be strengthened. Under the current refugee regime definitions, there are numerous groups that can be excluded from asylum. Regarding non-refoulment, nations have turned to containment, often external to nationalContinue reading “Displace the Definition of Refugee: Reforming Refugee Regime”
Category Archives: International Law
Presidential Authority: How the Ink Dries in Post-9/11
Did we start the post-9/11 frenzy of military activity legally? Did the President and subsequent leaders follow the constitution of the United States of America? To many Americans, these types of questions surrounding the terrorist attack on 9/11 and legality cause an audience to squirm and fidget. Understandably so, post-9/11 military activity appears to beContinue reading “Presidential Authority: How the Ink Dries in Post-9/11”
The Recipe is Unrealistic: Realism’s Critique of International Law
In critiquing international law (IL), the theory of realism is at its weakest when rebuffing critical theories of international relations (IR) that contribute to building discourse surrounding IL. The argument of John J. Mearsheimer, that critical theory cannot predict which discourse will replace realism but that it does, in fact, posit that realism will beContinue reading “The Recipe is Unrealistic: Realism’s Critique of International Law”
Interaction, Interpretation and Understanding: Constructivism in International Law and Relations
Introduction The theory of constructivism lends greatly to understanding the institutions of international law (IL) and why they are obeyed, how they are created, how they evolve, and how they become anew throughout international relations (IR). Examining theories by Sean Murphy will provide literature that bolsters the contribution constructivism has bestowed upon IL. Jutta Brunnee’sContinue reading “Interaction, Interpretation and Understanding: Constructivism in International Law and Relations”