The Cornell International Law Journal Forum publishes essays, blog posts, and featured online content series covering current international law issues. Born out of the Journal’s desire to establish a repository for timely transnational law thought leadership during the pandemic, the Forum features contributions from the Journal’s Online Associates and guest authors from across the globe. We welcome submissions from all who seek to add to the contemporary conversation for the benefit of the international law community. If you wish to cite one of our articles, please use “[volume #] Cornell Int’l L.J. F. [page #] (year).
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- Black Lives Matter is a Human Rights IssueIn 2015, Opal Ayo Tometi, one of the three Black women who co-founded Black Lives Matter (BLM), along with this author, co-authored an article on the Time magazine website titled, “Black Lives Matter is Not a Civil Rights Movement.” In that piece, we argued that the Black Lives Matter Movement has been described as the … Read more
- Killing In the Game of: Holding Qatar Responsible For Migrant Worker Abuse, Vol. 56.1“FIFA stands for discipline, respect, fair-play, not just on the field of play, but in our society as well.” At the start of the twentieth century, Qatar was famous for something that may seem unfathomable today—pearl diving. Then it struck oil. Once known as the poorer neighbor of the other Saudi countries, Qatar is now … Read more
- In Re Section 301 Litigation, Vol. 56.1Introduction Glistening racks of aluminum frames hang from industrial beams, as orange-vested laborers walk through chest-high rows of bike tires. South Carolina’s Kent Bikes produces 350,000 bikes annually from its 200,000 square-foot domestic plant, and employs 130 Americans. Kent’s output relies heavily on Chinese and Taiwanese part imports, which now come with import tariffs of … Read more
- International Data Transfer Challenges: Lack of Trust in U.S. Data Protection Mechanisms, Vol. 56.1It used to be the case that companies from the European Union could freely and legally transfer their consumer data to companies located in the United States without adhering to today’s strict requirements and safeguards. This smooth transfer process was a byproduct of the adequacy decision on the EU-US Privacy Shield, which was what initially … Read more
- The Global Race to End Dog Racing: An Analysis of Legal vs. Social Power, Vol. 56.1Introduction As society turns a critical eye toward animal rights issues and the humane treatment of living things, global legal systems have met the people’s dismay with mixed responses. Greyhound racing provides a good case study into the way governments respond to growing public concerns. Over the past several decades, many animal rights lobbyist groups … Read more
- Defining Incurable: The Legality of Medical Assistance in Dying for Mental Illness in Canada, Vol. 56.1Medical Assitance in Dying in Canada Canada legalized medical assistance in dying (MAID) in 2016, following a Supreme Court Case, Carter v. Canada, where the Court held that prohibiting MAID violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Over 30,000 people have used MAID since its legalization, with 10,064 patients in 2021, accounting for 3.3% … Read more
- How Does International Law Apply to the Chinese Balloon?, Vol. 56.1Introduction Sooty piles of gray stone rose into an overcast gray sky. One could barely distinguish the two grays. Neon vests shone sharply against the gray, worn on workers scurrying about the hard-rock mines of Montana’s hill country. Miner Michael Alverson’s gaze drifted to the sky and noticed the moon. Soon another moon grew apparent … Read more
- TikTok: The Clock is Ticking on Online Copyright Infringement, Vol. 56.1Background On January 1st, 2021, a new blanket licensing system was established by the Music Modernization Act. This system, facilitated by the Mechanical Licensing Collective, is one of many steps in the ongoing battle to distribute royalties to their rightful copyright owners across the globe. Historically, songwriters and musicians received mechanical royalties every time their … Read more
- Holding Back the Tiers: Can FINRA Benefit From India’s Tiered Arbitration Mechanism?, Vol. 56.1“The courts of this country should not be the places where resolution of disputes begins. They should be the places where the disputes end after alternative methods of resolving disputes have been considered and tried.” — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) refers to a variety of processes and techniques … Read more
- The Other War Russia is Waging: Putin’s Attack on LGBTQ+ Rights Villainizes Individuals in His Campaign Against Western Values, Vol. 56.1Introduction Following its restrictive 2013 anti-LGBT propaganda law, which liberally punished what Russia calls “the promotion of non-traditional sexual relationships to minors,” the Russian government signed into law on December 5, 2022, an anti-LGBT bill expanding criminal liability for the dissemination of “LGBT propaganda” amongst adults. While the 2013 law restricted displays of homosexual lifestyles … Read more
- Corporate Accountability, Extraterritoriality and Child Slavery: Lessons From Nestlé v. DoeIntroduction ‘Human rights are inextricably linked to our shared future and a key element of the just transition to regenerative food systems. By respecting and advancing them in our value chain, we are building a foundation that contributes to a resilient future for our planet and its people.’[1] This is the first statement displayed on … Read more
- Is a Two-Party System Possible in Turkey?: Two-Party System vs. Two-Political Alliance SystemIntroduction Why and how do two-party systems emerge? Why do some countries prefer to implement two-party systems? The answers to these questions come from the political history of the countries; politics build legal rules just as the latter build the former. This study examines the emergence of two-party systems in Turkey through this lens. Political … Read more