Introduction
Government 260 uses a casebook approach to introduce students to the nature and role of law in international society. The course provides a theoretical background to the study of international law and examines selected cases of its practical application. Specific topics include problems of overlapping jurisdiction and the development of legal regimes to govern the oceans, airspace, outer space and the global environment. Government 260 is limited to 50 students.
Readings
The required text for Government 260 is Cases and Materials on the International Legal System by Covey T. Oliver, et al, (4th ed., Westbury, NY: The Foundation Press, Inc., 1995) and its Documentary Supplement (also the 4th edition). Both are available in the Smith Union Bookstore. Assignments are given on a daily basis. Students are expected to complete the assigned readings by the date given next to each sub-heading.
Requirements
Grades will be based primarily on your cumulative score from the two in-class, 1-1/2 hour exams and a comprehensive, in-class, 3 hour final. The final exam is scheduled for Wednesday, December 15, from 2-5 p.m.. (Please note this date and make your travel plans accordingly.) While you are not required to brief cases, it is recommended that you do so, and optional study questions will be made available for most of the major topics covered. You will be expected to come to class prepared to discuss assigned cases, and class participation will be considered in determining your final grade.
Class Attendance Policy
Students are encouraged to attend and to participate actively in all classes. Each student is entitled to three unexcused absences without penalty. Absences due to scheduled athletic competitions must be discussed with me before the event. It is your responsibility to sign in at the start of each class. I will treat any cheating (for instance, signing in the name of someone else) as a violation of the Bowdoin College Honor Code.
Syllabus
I. Introduction: The Nature of International Law---9/2
II. The Application of International Law
A. National Level
1. International v. Municipal Law---9/7 Problem #1
Cases and Materials:
1-10
10-13 (The Pacquete Habana, The Lola)
13-14 (Trendtex v. Nigeria)
15-17
18-19 (Israel v. Eichman)
19-36
2. The Nature of International Agreements---9/9 Problem #2
Cases and Materials:
990-996
996-1000 (Eastern Greenland: Denmark v. Norway)
1001 (Free Zones of Upper Savoy: France v. Switzerland)
1001-1007
1007-1011 (Reservations to the Genocide Convention, Advisory Opinion)
1011-1029
1029-1030 (Bremen v. Prussia)
1030-1034
1034-1036 (Charlton v. Kelly)
Documentary Supplement:
281-313 (Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties), esp. Arts. 1-2, 18-21, 24-29, 31-32, 34-38, 42-53, 56, 60-64
3. Treaties and Executive Agreements: U.S. Practice---9/14 Problem #3
Cases and Materials:
1037-1048
1051-1053 (Missouri v. Holland)
1053-1058 (Reid v. Covert)
1058-1060
1060-1064 (Edwards v. Carter)
1064-1075
1075-1077 (U.S. v. Pink)
1078-1085 (Dames and Moore v. Regan]
1087-1088
1090-1091 (Asakura v. Seattle)
B. International Level---9/16 Problem #4
4
Cases and Materials:
36-38 (Rainbow Warrior)
38-48
48-51 (Norwegian Loans: France v. Norway)
52-53
53-58 (Nicaragua v. U.S.)
59-62 (Lockerbie Incident: Libya v. U.S.)
63-66
66-71 (Obligation to Arbitrate, Advisory Opinion)
71-81
Documentary Supplement:
35-50 (ICJ Statute), esp. Articles 34, 36, 38,55, 59-60,65
29-30 (UN Charter), Articles 92-96
III. Structure of the International Legal System: The Subjects of International Law
A. States and Governments and the Issue of Recognition---9/21 Problem #5
Cases and Materials:
82-99
99-101 (Luthor v. Sagor)
101-102
102-103 (Banco Nacional de Cuba v. Sabbatino)
104-106
Documentary Supplement
621-629 (Principles of International Law Between States)
B. The Role of the Individual
1. Nationality and State Protection---9/23 Problem #6
Cases and Materials:
672-673
673-679 (Hanna)
679-681
685-693 (Nottebohm: Lichtenstein v. Guatemala)
693-695
695-700 (Mergé: U.S. v. Italy)
700-705
705-706 (D'Aquino v. U.S.)
710-712 (U.S. v. Rumsa)
2. Human Rights---9/28 Problem #7
Cases and Materials:
724-726
726-727 (Administrative Decision No. V)
727-742, 748-751
751-752 (South West Africa, Advisory Opinion)
778-788
788-790 (Western Sahara, Advisory Opinion)
797-803 (Filartiga v. Pena-Irala)
803-806
806-814 (Siderman v. Argentina)
825-827
827-837 (Sale v. Haitian Centers Council, Inc.)
3. Individual Responsibility---9/30, 10/1 Problem #8
Cases and Materials:
848-853 (Dithmar, Boldt Hospital Ship Landovery Castle)
853-871
871-880 (U.S. v. Calley)
880-887
894-904 (Nuremberg Tribunal)
905-913
920-922 (Mitchell v. U.S.)
922-923 (Randall v. IRS)
HOUR EXAM #1---THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7
IV. Allocation of Jurisdiction in the International Legal System
A. Jurisdiction to Prescribe---10/12 Problem #9
Cases and Materials:
133-137
137-140 (Cutting)
140-146 (The S.S. Lotus: France v. Turkey)
147-150 (U.S. v. Alcoa)
161-168
169-170 (U.S. v. Pizzarusso)
171-173
173-176 (U.S. v. Juda)
176-179
179-188 (U.S. v. Yunis)
924-928 (Israel v. Eichman)
929-937 (Demjanjuk v. Petrovsky)
B. Jurisdiction to Enforce---10/14 Problem #10
Cases and Materials:
193-194 (Arrêt Fornage)
195-206 (U.S. v. Alvarez-Machain)
206-209
209-212 (Jaffe)
217-218
218-220 (The State v. Schumann)
220 (Re Bressano)
220-223
Documentary Supplement:
590-599 (U.S.-Italy Extradition Treaty), esp. Articles I, II , V
600-602 (U.S.-U.K. Supplemental Extradition Treaty), esp. Article I
603-610 (Hostages Convention), esp. Articles 1, 5, 8-10
611 (Hostage Taking Abroad)
C. Resolving Jurisdictional Conflicts---10/19, 10/21 Problem #11
Cases and Materials:
224-226
227-230 (Whitley v. Aitchison)
230-231 (Wilson v. Girard)
231-236
236-244 (Timberlane Lumber v. Bank of America, I and II)
244-246 (American Banana v. United Fruit)
246-251
251-254 (SEC v. Kasser)
255-260 (U.S. v. First National City Bank)
260-261
262-269 (Laker Airways v. Sabena)
D. The Law of the Sea---10/28, 11/2 Problem #12
1. The Battle over the 1982 Convention
Cases and Materials: 271-285
2. Vessels, internal waters and the territorial sea
Cases and Materials:
285-286 (Public Ministry v. Mogens Glistrup)
286-290
290-293 (People v. Thomas)
293-294 (Re Bianchi)
294-295
295-297 (U.S. v. Aikins)
297-308
308-309 (Gulf of Sidra)
309-310
310-313 (Wildenhus)
313-315
315-318 (Hoff, Administratrix: U.S. v. Mexico)
318-321
321-322 (Corfu Channel: U.K. v. Albania)
322-325
Documentary Supplement:
391-399 (1958 Territorial Sea Convention), esp. Articles 14-17, 24
413-532 (1982 UN Law of the Sea Convention), esp. Articles 19, 24, 37-39, 44-45
3. Waters beyond and resources below
Cases and Materials:
333-337 (Re Pulos)
341-346
348-354 (ODECO v. Torao Oda)
354-359
Documentary Supplement:
400-408 (1958 High Seas Convention), esp. Articles 1-2, 23
409-413 (1958 Continental Shelf Convention), esp. Articles 1-3
413-532 (1982 UN Law of the Sea Convention), esp. Articles 3, 5, 7, 10, 17-19, 21, 24-25, 37-39, 42, 44-45, 55-58, 62, 64, 66, 69, 76, 111, 136-137, 150-151, 155, 161, 170, 246, 286-287
E. The Law of Airspace, Outer Space and Celestial Bodies---11/4, 11/9
1. State control over airspace
Cases and Materials:
360-368
368-371 (Powers)
371-373
374-381 (KAL 007)
381-385
2. Offenses aboard aircraft Problem #13
Cases and Materials:
385-386 (Silberwacht V. Attorney-General)
391-396
396-399 (Refusal to Extradite)
400-401
Documentary Supplement:
568-576 (Tokyo Convention), esp. Articles 1, 3-4, 11, 13, 15-16
577-582 (Hague Hijacking Convention), esp. Articles 1-4, 6-8
583-589 (Montreal Sabotage Convention), esp. Articles 1-8
3. Outer Space and Celestial Bodies Problem #14
Cases and Materials:
402-416
439-441 (Cosmos 954)
Documentary Supplement:
544-552 (Space Liability Convention), esp. Articles I-VI, VIII, XIV, XV, XXII
553-558 (Outer Space Treaty), esp. Articles I-II, IV, XII
559-567 (Moon Treaty), esp. Articles 1, 3-4, 7, 11
F. International Protection Of The Environment---11/11, 11/16 Problem #15
1. Evolving Customary Law
Cases and Materials:
417-424
425-430 (Trail Smelter Arbitration: Canada v. U.S.)
430-431 (Corfu Channel: U.K. v. Albania)
431-434 (Lake Lanoux Arbitration: France v. Spain)
434-438, 441-447
448-451 (Nuclear Tests: Australia and New Zealand v. France)
2. Protection of the Marine Environment
Cases and Materials:
461-466
Documentary Supplement:
413-532 (1982 UN Law of the Sea Convention), esp. Articles 192-233
3. Environmental Protection and International Trade
Cases and Materials:
482-490
490-509 (GATT Panel Report on U.S. Restrictions on Imports of Tuna)
509-514 (Earth Island Institute v. Mosbacher)
HOUR EXAM #2---THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18
V. Limitations on the Exercise of Jurisdiction
A. State Immunities
1. Sovereign immunity and state trading enterprises---11/23 Problem #16
Cases and Materials:
579-587
591-596 (Argentina v. Amerada Hess Shipping Corp.)
596-600 (Argentina v. Weltover)
600-603 (U.S. v. Public Service Alliance of Canada)
603-605
605-609 (Liberian Eastern Timber Corp. v. Liberia)
Documentary Supplement:
649-657 (1976 Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act), esp. Sect. 1602-1605, 1607, 1609-1610
2. Diplomatic and Consular Immunities---11/30 Problem #17
Cases and Materials:
938-942
942-943 (Yener and Erez Deceased)
943-946 (Radwan v. Radwan)
946-954
954-957 (U.S. v. Iran)
957-959
959-960 (Dame Nzie v. Vessah)
960-961 (Abdulaziz v. Metropolitan Dade County)
961-967
967-969 (U.S. v. Noriega)
970-972 (Re Rissman)
Documentary Supplement:
327-342 (Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations), esp. Articles 1-4, 7, 9, 22- 27, 29-46
B. International Organizations, Foreign Representatives, and International Civil Servants---12/2 Problem #18
Cases and Materials:
613-615
615-622 (Broadbent v. OAS)
973-975 (People v. Leo)
984-988 (U.S. v. PLO)
Documentary Supplement:
65-70 (Convention on UN Immunities), esp. Sects. 1-4, 11-12, 14, 18-21
73-77 (Headquarters Agreement), esp. Sects. 7-11, 13, 15
C. Act of State Doctrine---12/8 Problem #19
Cases and Materials:
622-627
627-635 (Banco Nacional de Cuba v. Sabbatino)
637-638 (First National City Bank v. Banco Nacional de Cuba)
638-644 (Kirkpatrick v. Environmental Tectonics)
644-645 (Lamb and Willis v. Philip Morris)
645-646 (Frilova v. USSR)
647-649
649-653 (I.A.M. v. OPEC)
653-656
656-661 (Hunt v. Coastal States Gas) `
661-662 (West v. Multibanco Comermex)
662-665 (Buttes Gas and Oil v. Hammer)
665-666 (Anglo-Iranian Oil v. SUPOR)
666-668
Briefs
Preparing a brief
Below is an outline of one way to prepare a brief of a legal case. Briefs are not required in Government 260, but many students have found them helpful both for learning cases and for studying for and taking exams. Feel free to modify this structure in any ways you find useful.
Whatever form you use, keep your brief short! If it gets too long, you might as well reread the whole case. Isolate the facts are crucial to the outcome of the case, something you likely will be unable to do until you have read it through once. Use descriptive or memorable words and phrases to trigger your recollection of all the information your brief cannot contain.
Name of the case
Facts
1) Parties
2) Date of decision
3) Forum- Where is the case being decided? In a "municipal" court (State, Federal District, Supreme, etc.), by an administrative agency, or on an international level by the International Court of Justice, an ad hoc arbitral tribunal, etc.?
4) What happened- Summarize the progression of events that created the dispute and, if relevant, brought this case to this forum. This may include key dates and may require fuller explanation of relationship between the parties. It may also be helpful to indicate any actions taken by "lower courts."
Issues- What does the court perceive as the legal question(s) before it? (Note: Some judges, for political or other reasons, may deliberately avoid what might seem to be the "real" issues presented by the case.)
Decision
1) "Winner" (if there is one)
2) Legal consequences of decision- What is the effect of the decision? (fine paid, jail term, etc.)
Logic- By what line of reasoning did the Court reach its decision? Did it apply or enunciate a "doctrine" useful in analogous circumstances?
Significance- Why is the case important to Government 260? Why is it placed where it is in the syllabus?
Web Resources
I plan to communicate with the class (e.g. update you on class assignments, answer questions) via electronic mail. You should read your e-mail on a daily basis and you are responsible for being aware of any e-mail message I send out! You may either contact just me via email (at my address above) or the entire class (simply by typing 'gov260' at the mail prompt).
I have compiled a list of web sites that may be of interest to students in this and other international relations courses. To contact them, simply press here.