MJIL Blog

International Adjudication vs. Judicial Remedies, Abirami Swaminath   The foremost authority on international law is the International Court of Justice (ICJ). However, the various networks within the United Nations, including the treaties and charters that different nations have signed into, govern many fields of international law before the issue is handed to the ICJ. By […]

        The Ethiopia-Somaliland Naval Base Deal Is a Violation of International Law Aman Obsiye   On January 1, 2024, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Somaliland – an unrecognized secessionist region within the Federal Republic of Somalia.  The MOU grants Ethiopia twenty kilometers

Wendy Erickson The United Nations is in the process of negotiating a landmark global cybercrime treaty, which if adopted, will be the first binding U.N. instrument on cybercrime. The treaty has the backing of Russia, China and a number of other countries. Negotiations over the scope and content of the treaty have been dominated by

Jacob Vander Weit Accounts of hostility and contention between Greece and Turkey over the Aegean Sea have been recorded since the dawn of western literature.[1] Recent tensions between these two powers are once again rising, with both countries threatening the possibility of war.[2] Among many, one controversy of the most recent dispute regards Greece’s contested

Mikaela Braddy Smith In the United Kingdom (UK), a debate has sparked over a new bill that was introduced in Parliament on Thursday, December 7th – the “Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill.[1] It aims to legally assert Rwanda as a safe country for asylum seekers, allowing the UK to turn away migrants without

Madeleine Kim, University of Minnesota Law School   On July 27, 2023, the United States (“U.S.”),[1] United Nations,[2] the Republic of Korea (“ROK” or “South Korea”),[3] and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (“DPRK” or “North Korea”) marked the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement[4] which ended active hostilities in the

  Lexi Shields, University of Minnesota Law School   Shakira, the Colombian pop star known for iconic Latin hits such as “Whenever, Wherever” and “Hips Don’t Lie,” finds herself in the public eye for more than just her music career—for several years, she has been in a legal battle involving allegations of tax evasion.[1] The

Rachel Pederson, University of Minnesota Law School   The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) implemented a policy allowing students-athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness, but international students-athletes are subject to visa regulations restricting them from doing so. In June 2021, the Supreme Court upheld a Ninth Circuit injunction against rules promulgated

James Kile The open ocean has long been a chess board in the struggle for nations to gain and maintain influence.[1] From piracy, war, and trade, the world’s oceans have often been a battleground of international political strategy.[2] The dark side of the ocean shipping ecosystem is one of many recent challenges faced by Western

Eric Quintana-Snyder As reproductive technology has improved in the past decade, the popularity of surrogacy has soared, becoming an increasingly popular option for LGBTQ+ couples who wish to have children. Many individuals and couples therefore have turned to international surrogacy arrangements to fulfill their dreams of parenthood. In fact, the industry is expected to grow