New Issue: Human Rights Quarterly

The latest issue of the Human Rights Quarterly (Vol. 48, no. 1, February 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Rachel Chambers, Shareen Hertel, & Cory Runstedler, Human Rights Due Diligence: Views of the Process, From the Ground Up
• Yulia Ioffe & Hedi Viterbo, Reassessing Age Assessment: When the Violence of Age Meets the Violence of the Border
• Zahra Motamedi, Religious and Tribal Sovereignty in Afghanistan: The Taliban’s Governance, Its Impact on Women’s and Minorities’ Rights, and Global Implications
• Valeria Ruiz Pérez, Legitimizing Penality: Human Rights Discourses and Punitivism in Colombia
• Patient Mpunga-Biayi & Robin Sinchrist-Lecheks, The Fight Against Female Genital Mutilation in International Human Rights Law: The Contribution of the Joint General Comment by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
• Qingxin K. Wang, Locke, Mencius, and Their Conceptions of Human Dignity and Rights

Kassoti: International Law as a Political Question: The CJEU’s Deference to the Institutions on Questions of International Law

Eva Kassoti (T.M.C. Asser Institute) has posted International Law as a Political Question: The CJEU’s Deference to the Institutions on Questions of International Law. Here's the abstract:

In the field of EU external relations law, judicial deference has been discussed mostly within the context of the political question doctrine debate. The latter has a long pedigree in US law. Its nature, scope and legitimacy as well as its applicability in the EU external relations context are controversial and the topic has been mainly discussed in the context of the CFSP. At the same time, the CJEU’s deference to the political institutions on questions relating to international law and international relations has been overlooked in the relevant literature, despite the historic relationship between the political question doctrine and international law and the fact that, there is relevant CJEU practice.

Questions of judicial deference in the realm of foreign affairs bring to the fore fundamental constitutional questions regarding the role of the judiciary and the proper division of powers between courts and the political branches.

In this light, the contribution focuses on the question of whether and under what circumstances the EU courts follow the lead of the political branches when faced with questions of international law. By doing so, the paper purports to feed into the broader debate on deference to the political institutions in EU external relations law as well as to illuminate the constitutional dimension of the discussion.

Allen, Diogo, Mensi, & Pereira Coutinho: Western Sahara in the International Legal Order – 50 Years after the ICJ Advisory Opinion

Stephen Allen (Queen Mary, Univ. of London - Law), João Francisco Diogo (NOVA School of Law), Andrea Mensi (Catholic Univ. of Milan - Law), & Francisco Pereira Coutinho (NOVA School of Law) have published Western Sahara in the International Legal Order – 50 Years after the ICJ Advisory Opinion (Brill | Nijhoff 2025). The table of contents is here. Here's the abstract:

This book commemorates the 50th anniversary of the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on the Western Sahara, bringing together leading international legal scholars to explore and critically assess the enduring relevance and implications of the Opinion. It offers a comprehensive and authoritative analysis of the main legal issues surrounding the status of the Western Sahara, including self-determination, territorial sovereignty, decolonization, and the role of international institutions. By providing historical context, legal interpretation, and contemporary perspectives, the volume serves as a definitive reference for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers interested in international law, conflict resolution, and the ongoing legal dimensions of the Western Sahara question.

Call for Papers: The European Union as a sanctioning actor: Legal and institutional developments

The Centre for the Law of EU External Relations at the T.M.C. Asser Institute and the Multidisciplinary International Network on Sanctions at Ghent University have issued a call for papers for a conference on "The European Union as a sanctioning actor: Legal and institutional developments," to take place on December 11, 2026, in The Hague. The call is here.

Call for Papers: The UN Security Council amid Fracture: Past, Present, and Future

A call for papers has been issued for a workshop on "The UN Security Council amid Fracture: Past, Present, and Future." The workshop will be part of the 13th European Workshops in International Studies, July 1-3, 2026, in Izmir, Turkey. The call is here. Abstracts may be submitted here. The deadline the submission of abstracts is February 11, 2026.

Mbengue, Cima, & McGarry: Shelton's International Environmental Law (Fourth Edition)

Makane Moïse Mbengue (Univ. of Geneva - Law), Elena Cima (Univ. of Geneva - Law), & Brian McGarry (Leiden Univ. - Law) have published the fourth edition of Dinah Shelton's International Environmental Law (Brill | Nijhoff 2025). Here's the abstract:

Dinah Shelton’s International Environmental Law provides a comprehensive and updated analysis of international environmental frameworks, offering insights into the triple planetary crisis—climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. This edition further develops the intersection of environmental law with human rights, trade, and other international legal fields, while examining the role of global institutions, treaties, and customary law in addressing today’s most pressing environmental issues. The book provides an essential guide to the legal frameworks that underpin efforts to protect the environment and ensure sustainable development in the 21st century.

New Issue: International & Comparative Law Quarterly

The latest issue of the International & Comparative Law Quarterly (Vol. 74, no. 4, October 2025) is out. Contents include:

• Articles
• Lord Sales, Purpose in Law and in Interpretation
• Caroline E. Foster, The 2025 International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change
• Benoit Mayer, Victims in Climate Litigation
• Julien Chaisse, Investment Facilitation Agreements and Treaty Function Reordered: A Theory of Procedural Treaty Design
• Adeline Chong, ‘Salami-Slicing’ and Issue Estoppel: Foreign Decisions on the Governing Law
• Barend van Leeuwen, From Comparison to Effectiveness: The Scope and Aims of Comparative Analysis in Free Movement Judgments of the CJEU
• Shaun Matos, The Imposition of International Obligations on Domestic Non-State Actors
• Shorter Articles
• Sebastian von Massow, Using International Law in UK Courts
• Eleni Polymenopoulou, Provisional Measures in the African Human Rights System