Hersch Lauterpacht Memorial Lectures 2026

On June 8-10, 2026, Dapo Akande (Univ. of Oxford - Law) will deliver the 2026 Hersch Lauterpacht Memorial Lectures. The topic is: "Immunities of State Officials and Prosecutions for International Crimes - Where does the Law Stand?" Details are here.

Jones: The Invention of the Continental Shelf: Foreshores and Minerals under the Sea around Cornwall [1854] – an Arbitration between The Crown and The Duchy of Cornwall

Henry Jones (Univ. of Durham - Law) has posted The Invention of the Continental Shelf: Foreshores and Minerals under the Sea around Cornwall [1854] – an Arbitration between The Crown and The Duchy of Cornwall (British Yearbook of International Law, forthcoming) Here's the abstract:

The extension of coastal state sovereign rights over the sea and seabed up to 200 nautical miles was a seismic change in global order. It nearly doubled the amount of the globe subject to state sovereignty, an equivalent change in geopolitics to that of European colonialism. This article searches for the origin of this fundamental change, going back to the first international lawyers to write about the continental shelf, and following where they found historical precedent. I find the origin of the continental shelf in a mid-19th century dispute between the British Crown and the Duchy of Cornwall, over tin mines in that county. In this dispute the legal arguments and conceptual innovations needed for the continental shelf are invented. These innovations allowed for the extension of territory and sovereignty out to sea for the first time in a way which is familiar today. The invention of the continental shelf required nothing less than to fundamentally change how territory and sovereignty are understood.

Perez-Leon-Acevedo & Yepez: The Institutional Pillars of the Latin American Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Human Rights-Based Approach to Health

Juan-Pablo Perez-Leon-Acevedo & Jose Yepez have published The Institutional Pillars of the Latin American Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Human Rights-Based Approach to Health (UCLA Journal of International Law and Foreign Affairs, Vol. 29, no. 2, 2026). Here's the abstract:

Latin America has arguably been the most affected region by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet there is no academic article or academic publication on institutional regional responses to the pandemic concerning the right to health. Hence, this article aims to fill that scholarship gap by answering the following question: how have regional bodies responded to COVID-19 concerning the right to health in Latin America? It is overall argued and found herein that: (1) there is a regional system on the right to health in pandemics such as COVID-19, about which a human rights-based approach provides a unifying standard; and (2) this system is embedded within the Organization of American States’ three-pillar framework, consisting of the Pan-American Health Organization, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. A human rights-based approach to health, which relies on international human rights law on the right to health, is considered a key component of the conceptual general framework herein. The Article analyzes the COVID-19 related practices of the three above-mentioned bodies. A central part of this Article’s methodology utilizes findings of convergences, synergies, and divergences between those bodies regarding the right to health during pandemics like COVID-19.

Call for Papers: Mapping International Law’s Second Worlds: Middle Powers, Semi-Peripheries and Shifting Hierarchies in the Global Legal Order

A call for papers has been issued for the second Second World Approaches to International Law conference, to take place November 16-17, 2026, at the Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University. The theme is: "Mapping International Law’s Second Worlds: Middle Powers, Semi-Peripheries and Shifting Hierarchies in the Global Legal Order." The call is here.

Conference: A Commitment to Global Multilateralism? Canada in the International Arena during the Trudeau Era (2015–2025)

On May 18–19, 2026, a conference on "A Commitment to Global Multilateralism? Canada in the International Arena during the Trudeau Era (2015–2025)" will be held at the University of Messina. Details are here.

Call for Papers: 2026 ASIL Research Forum

The American Society of International Law has issued a call for papers for its 2026 Research Forum, a part of the Society's Midyear Meeting, which will be held November 5-7, at Santa Clara University School of Law. The deadline is June 5, 2026, at 5:00pm EDT. The call is here.

Dothan: The Way to Hell: When International Law Violations Spiral Out of Control

Shai Dothan (Univ. of Copenhagen - Law) has posted The Way to Hell: When International Law Violations Spiral Out of Control (Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law, forthcoming). Here's the abstract:

Severe violations of international law tend to spread from one country to another. No country would like to be left behind while its enemies or neighbors gain an advantage through violating international law. This paper investigates three case studies of extreme cascades into blatant international law violations: the growing practice of bombing cities during the Second World War, the spreading of the practice of torture after the terrorist attack on 9/11, and the expansion of the practice of targeted killings in recent years. The goal of these case studies is to illustrate the mechanisms that make a cascade towards increasing violations of international law likely to happen. By understanding these mechanisms, it is possible to think about how such harmful cascades can be slowed down, stopped, or even reversed.

New Issue: Chinese Journal of International Law

The latest issue of the Chinese Journal of International Law (Vol. 25, no. 1, March 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Editorial Comments in Honor of the United Nations at 80 and the Bandung Conference at 70 (Part I)
• Zhenmin LIU, United Nations to Be Reformed, Not Replaced: Toward a Better Shared Future for Humanity
• Xinxiang Shi & Zhengqian Li, The Role of the United Nations in the Maintenance of International Peace and Security
• Yang Liu, United Nations and Human Rights: A Brief Reflection
• Wei Shen, United Nations and Development
• Jinyuan Su, United Nations and Global Commons Governance
• Articles
• Lingjie Kong & Yanling Liu, Australia’s Obligations for the Acquisition and Operation of Nuclear Submarines under AUKUS: What Can Article 14 of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA Tell us?
• Dennis J Baker, From Regulation to Crime Control: Preventive Justice in the Governance of Global Markets
• Letters to the Journal
• Marco Longobardo, The Extraterritorial Application of Human Rights in Armed Conflict in the DRC v. Rwanda Case in the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights
• Xiaolin LI & Guangjian TU, Agudas Chasidei Chabad of U.S. v. Russian Federation: Reaffirming the Narrow Reach of the FSIA Expropriation Exception against Foreign States

New Issue: Journal of the History of International Law / Revue d'histoire du droit international

The latest issue of the Journal of the History of International Law / Revue d'histoire du droit international (Vol. 28, no. 1, 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Rémi Fuhrmann, Localising Civil Wars: International Law, the Spanish Civil War, and the Institutionalisation of ‘Non-Intervention’
• Eleni Ilia, On Creating a Space Power: The United States, International Law, and the Shaping of Outer Space in the 1950s and 1960s
• Julian Lubini, The Beginnings of International Nature Conservation Law with the Svalbard (Spitsbergen) Treaty of 1920: A Transnational Initiative of European Natural and Legal Scientists

Conference: 2026 ASIL Abroad

On July 6-7, 2026, the American Society of International Law will host its third ASIL Abroad at Torcuato Di Tella University, Buenos Aires. The theme is: "The International Legal Order at a Crossroads: Rupture, Resilience, and Renewal." Registration and details are here.

New Issue: International Legal Materials

The latest issue of International Legal Materials (Vol. 65, no. 2, April 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Land and Maritime Delimitation and Sovereignty Over Islands (Gabon/Eq. Guinea) (I.C.J.), with introductory note by Gleider Hernández
• The Agreement Between the Council of Eur. and Ukr. on the Establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukr. and the Statute of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukr., with introductory note by David M. Crane
• Regulation 2024/1348/EU Establishing a Common Procedure for Int’l Protection in the Union and Repealing Directive 2013/32/EU (E.U.), with introductory note by Vasiliki Apatzidou

Event: Litigating Genocides

On May 18, 2026, a speech and panel discussion will be held on "Litigating Genocides," in Venice and on streaming. Details are here.

New Issue: La Comunità Internazionale

The latest issue of La Comunità Internazionale (Vol. 81, no. 1, 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Interventi
• Gianpaolo Maria Ruotolo, Su taluni profili del rapporto tra guerra e disinformazione nel diritto internazionale
• Articoli e Saggi
• Agostina Latino, Deadly Rhythms: The Sonic Dimension of Incitement to Genocide in International Law
• Rita Mazza, Sea-level rise e continuità dello Stato nel parere della Corte internazionale di giustizia sul cambiamento climatico: questioni aperte
• Alan Amadio, Il crimine “eccezionale”: recenti sviluppi in tema di criminalizzazione dell’aggressione
• Miriam Schettini, Is It Time to Reconsider the Creation of an African Criminal Court? Some Reflections Following Angola’s Recent Ratification of the Malabo Protocol
• Osservatorio Europeo
• Giuseppet Emanuele Corsaro, Un’iniziativa team Europe? Il Piano Mattei, la solidarietà internazionale e le sfide della nuova politica italiana di cooperazione allo sviluppo nel Mediterraneo
• Osservatorio Diritti Umani
• Francesco Viggiani, Guerra e soggetti “invisibili”: la condizione degli anziani nella Striscia di Gaza tra diritto internazionale e ordini di evacuazione
• Note e Commenti
• Claudio Di Turi, Il secondo Vertice mondiale per lo sviluppo sociale: esiti, criticità e prospettive future
• Andrea D'Orrio, La corsa all’Artico: la prospettiva geopolitica russa

Call for Papers: Athens International Young Scholars Conference on Space Law

A call for papers has been issued for the 2026 Athens International Young Scholars Conference on Space Law, which will take place September 11-12, 2026, at the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The theme is: "Weaponising the Final Frontier: Outer Space Militarisation and the Legal Boundaries of Jus ad Bellum and Jus in Bello." The call is here.

Conference: International Law in Transformation: Global Challenges, Sustainability, and Legal Innovation

On June 5, 2026, the third meeting on Current Issues and Challenges in International Law will take place at Lusófona University, in Porto. The theme is: “International Law in Transformation: Global Challenges, Sustainability, and Legal Innovation.” Details are here.

Call for Papers: 55th Annual Conference of the Canadian Council on International Law

The Canadian Council on International Law has issued a call for papers for its 55th Annual Conference, which will take place October 29-30, 2026, in Ottawa. The theme is "Bend, Not Break: Resilience and Evolution of International Law." The call is here.

New Issue: World Trade Review

The latest issue of the World Trade Review (Vol. 25, no. 2, May 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Hao-Zhe He, Gen-Fu Feng, & Chun-Ping Chang, The Impact of ESG Gaps on Green Exports in Bilateral Trade: A Linear and Nonlinear Analysis
• Romus Noufelie & Boris Landry Djamen, Global Value Chain Integration, Quality of Institutions and Multidimensional Energy Poverty in African Countries
• Axel Berger, Ali Dadkhah, Florian Gitt, Zoryana Olekseyuk, & Jakob Schwab, The Investment Facilitation Index (IFI): Quantifying Domestic Investment Facilitation Frameworks
• Leopoldo Biffi & Christian Winkler, Tightening or Loosening? The Effects of Uncertainty on the Design of Preferential Trade Agreements
• Niels Lachmann, Technical Dialogue or Political Statements? Members’ Concerns about Digital Trade at WTO Committees and Councils
• Sunayana Sasmal, Let’s Get Critical: Critical Minerals Mini Deals as Evolving Models of Trade Cooperation

Call for Papers: Asian Cities and the International Legal Order 2.0: Urban Challenges and International Law in Asia

A call for papers has been issued for the SMU-Max Planck Workshop "Asian Cities and the International Legal Order 2.0: Urban Challenges and International Law in Asia," which will take place November 2-3, 2026, at the Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University. The call is here.

New Issue: Human Rights Quarterly

The latest issue of the Human Rights Quarterly (Vol. 48, no. 2, May 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Paul Hunt, Empowering Human Rights for Revolutionary Change
• Jennifer Bates, Beyond Territorialization? State Constructions of the Indigenous Subject of Rights in Multicultural Colombia
• Omar G. Encarnación, Confronting Historical Injustices: The Politics of Gay Reparations
• Aleydis Nissen, The Right to Access Sport for All in Europe
• Jeremy Julian Sarkin & Benjamin Dugdale, How Selective Interventionism Trumps Human Rights Protection: A Configurational Analysis of the United Nations Security Council’s Disparate Response to Genocide
• Katarzyna Sękowska-Kozłowska & Katarzyna Ważyńska-Finck, Vulnerable and Empowered? Girls in the Practice of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child

Webinar: Global Health Law and Governance Between Progress and Challenges

On May 5, 2026, a third webinar will be held in the ESIL Conversations series “Multilateralism in Times of Unilateralism.” The topic is: “Global Health Law and Governance Between Progress and Challenges.” Details are here.

Sayapin: A Central Asian Perspective on International Law

Sergey Sayapin (KIMEP Univ​. - Law) has published A Central Asian Perspective on International Law (Hart Publishing 2026). Here's the abstract:

This book offers the first full-length, systematic account of international law as seen and applied from the perspective of Central Asia.

Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have gradually emerged as active participants in the international legal order. Drawing on their evolving statehood and regional cooperation, this book explores how the Central Asian States engage with the rules, principles, and institutions of international law.

Across 15 chapters, the book covers key areas of international law – from the nature and sources of international law to the law of treaties, international responsibility, and peaceful settlement of disputes – as well as specialist regimes including international human rights, humanitarian and criminal law, international peace and security, and international trade law. Dedicated chapters address the status of the Caspian Sea, the role of international organisations and non-State actors, and the domestic implementation of international norms.

Through rigorous legal analysis and rich empirical references, the book also examines Central Asian constitutional and policy approaches to international law, regional mechanisms of dispute settlement, and case studies such as the legal status of the Caspian Sea, the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, and the development of institutional arbitration in the region, including the Astana International Financial Centre and the Tashkent International Arbitration Centre. The analysis highlights how the region's engagement with international law reflects both adaptation to global norms and the emergence of context-specific legal practices.

Douglas: The Criminal State: War, Atrocity, and the Dream of International Justice

Lawrence Douglas (Amherst College) has published The Criminal State: War, Atrocity, and the Dream of International Justice (Princeton Univ. Press 2026). Here's the abstract:

The Criminal State offers a gripping account of how law has confronted the most radical forms of state violence. Beautifully written, broad in scope, and bracingly original, it weaves history with political thought to trace the shifting legal response to state aggression and atrocities, from Leopold’s rule over the Congo to Putin’s war in Ukraine.

At its heart is Lawrence Douglas’s fresh interpretation of the law’s reckoning with Nazi aggression and atrocity. He shows how the Nuremberg trials challenged centuries of thought—rooted in Hobbes and other canonical thinkers—that shielded sovereigns from legal scrutiny. Yet Nuremberg’s bid to frame aggression as the cornerstone of a new order of international criminal law largely failed, giving way to a system now centrally concerned with crimes against humanity and genocide—while leaving unresolved the legality and effectiveness of using force to stop the worst violations of human rights.

Providing rare historical perspective on the dilemmas facing international courts, The Criminal State is a sweeping, provocative history of the struggle to bring perpetrators of state violence to justice.

Workshop: International Law and the Strategic Use of Economic Coercion

On May 5, 2026, Bocconi University will host a workshop on "International Law and the Strategic Use of Economic Coercion." The event will also be accessible online. Details are here.

New Issue: Chicago Journal of International Law

The latest issue of the Chicago Journal of International Law (Vol. 26, no. 2, Winter 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Rangita de Silva de Alwis, "Because We Take Our Values to War": Analyzing the Views of UN Member States on AI-Driven Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems
• Shai Dothan, The Seeds of Peace and Justice
• Aaron X. Fellmeth, The Territorial Independence of Intellectual Property Rights
• Peter J. Spiro, Balancing Nationalities in International Investment Law

Cimiotta: Ukraine peace treaty, territorial concessions, and international law

Emanuele Cimiotta (Università degli Studi di Perugia) has posted Ukraine peace treaty, territorial concessions, and international law (Journal of Conflict and Security Law, forthcoming). Here's the abstract:

Shortly after, in January 2025, the new US administration took office, and Ukraine peace talks began. To end the war that Russia started more than three years ago, a peace deal is not a utopia anymore. Ukraine has consistently made clear that no negotiations are possible until its territorial integrity is fully restored. In contrast, Russia has repeatedly stated that talks are only possible based on the ‘new realities’ on the ground. To date, lawyers have debated the question of whether international law permits aggressor States to retain territorial gains under a peace treaty. This article investigates the legal position of Ukraine. It discusses whether international law permits attacked States to give up territory as a last resort measure to reach a viable peace deal. More specifically, it explores the extent to which international law restrains Ukrainian consent to territorial concessions. As under the circumstances of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the legality of land transfers pursuant to the law of state responsibility and the law of treaties is controversial, and its assessment overlooks the manifold interests at stake, this article suggests reframing the matter in terms of a conflict between two jus cogens norms. On the one hand, the prohibition of aggression, assuming that it goes as far as forbidding territorial concessions that would indirectly condone forceful territorial acquisitions. On the other hand, the right of self-determination, assuming that it grants the Ukrainian people the absolute right to freely determine their territorial status in a peace treaty. Thus, the issue arises of how to solve this conflict. Apparently, positive international law lacks a ready-to-use rule to do so. However, the principles of proportionality and of peaceful dispute settlement may guide the process. They require a complex interpretative activity, in light of a number of criteria, to craft a treaty that could balance both norms. The goal is to preserve each norm as much as possible and ensure lasting peace.