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The Once and Future Law of State Responsibility

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 October 2020

Martins Paparinskis*
Affiliation:
Reader in Public International Law, University College London. Email:m.paparinskis@ucl.ac.uk. I am grateful to Christiane Ahlborn, Roger O'Keefe, and Meagan Wong for their insightful comments.

Abstract

The current (once) international law of state responsibility is shaped by the International Law Commission's Articles on responsibility of States for internationally wrongful acts, generally endorsed in state and judicial practice as consonant with custom. This Essay makes the case that the global pandemic and associated practice may affect foundational elements of the (future) law of state responsibility. It outlines the contours of systemic grain of possible developments by reference to the tension between bilateralism and community interests in international law.

Type
The International Legal Order and the Global Pandemic
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 by The American Society of International Law

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25 Cf. Sloane, supra note 13; Compilation 2019, supra note 18, at 25–27.

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56 E.g., right of self-determination, Int'l L. Commission, Draft conclusions on peremptory norms of general international law (jus cogens), Annex (h), Commentary 12, UN Doc. A/74/10 142 (2019) [hereinafter 2019 ILC Draft Conclusions].

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58 Dupuy, supra note 12.

59 Obligations Concerning Negotiations Relating to Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and to Nuclear Disarmament (Marsh. Is. v. UK), 2016 ICJ Rep. 833, paras. 44–58 (Oct. 5) [hereinafter Obligations].

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61 Questions Relating to the Obligation to Prosecute or Extradite (Belg. v. Sen.), 2012 ICJ Rep. 449, para. 68 [hereinafter Questions]; Myanmar Genocide, supra note 23, para. 41. But note the skepticism of judges with a professional background in the foreign service of certain states. Questions, at 481, paras. 10–22 (sep. op., Skotnikov, J.); Questions, at 571, paras. 2–23 (diss. op., Xue, J.); Questions, at 584, para. 11 (dec., Donoghue, J.); Obligations, supra note 60, at 1029, para. 8 (dec., Xue, J.); Myanmar Genocide, supra note 23, para. 8 (sep. op., Xue, V-P.).

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81 Cf. Appeal Relating to the Jurisdiction of the ICAO Council Under Article 84 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Bahr. and Ors v. Qatar), para. 49, (Int'l Ct. Justice July 14, 2020); id. (sep. op., Cançado Trindade, J.).

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