Minnesota Journal of International Law

The Minnesota Journal of International Law is a student-led publication at the University of Minnesota Law School. We aspire to be a leader in the multidisciplinary study of international and comparative law. The Journal annually publishes two print volumes and one online edition.

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MJIL Blog

Better Late Than Never? How Pope Francis Upped the Ante in Greece’s Negotiation with the British Museum Regarding the Repatriation of the Parthenon Marbles

March 28, 2023

Laura Phillipp Tucker Did Lord Elgin know he was creating a centuries-long strife when he took The Parthenon Marbles—a collection of Ancient Greek sculptures—from the Parthenon in Athens to London in 1799?[1] The marble statues currently housed in the British Museum are from the 5th Century B.C. and were part of a “frieze that ran […]

Sri Lanka Local Elections Delayed: Government Cites Financial Concerns to Cover Corruption & Delays

March 23, 2023

Suzanne Mead A small island country off of the coast of India, Sri Lanka rarely makes U.S. headlines.[1] Yet, a majority of people in the U.S. agree that democracy is the best system of government and with democracy comes elections of a country’s leaders.[2] The country of Sri Lanka has a parliamentarian system that includes […]

Minnesota’s Anti-BDS Law is Safe From Constitutional Challenges for the Foreseeable Future

March 22, 2023

Joanna Curry Following the lead of U.S. foreign policy and consistently with over 30 other states, in 2017 Minnesota passed a law that prohibits the state government from contracting with any entity that participates in an anti-Israeli movement known as BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions).[1] The Minnesota bill passed with bipartisan support, but over the […]

International Law v. “International Practice”: Critiquing the American Response to Unmanned Flying Objects Over United States Territory

March 20, 2023

Funsho Delé Nwabuzor The recent international incident regarding the purported Chinese spy balloon that flew over United States territory has been closely watched and commented on by international news media organizations and even other authors in this journal. There remain debates, however, regarding the height to which airspace remains sovereign over the land or sea […]

What Happened in Qatar?: Examining the Corruption Scandal Surrounding the 2022 World Cup

March 17, 2023

Josh Mone Background In 2010, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, the then-Prime Minister of Qatar, traveled to France to pitch the almost fantastical idea of hosting the world’s largest sporting event.[1] A few months later, despite lacking any meaningful soccer tradition or even basic soccer infrastructure such as stadiums, the international governing body of soccer […]

Avoiding Conscription or Fleeing from Injustice? The Story of Russian Men Seeking Refuge from the Ukraine-Russian War

March 3, 2023

Andrew Y. Kim It is perhaps widely recognized and supported by international law and humanitarian principles that individuals forced to flee their homeland due to armed conflict or war should be granted refugee status. It is difficult to dispute that these individuals have often endured unimaginable hardships and atrocities in their home countries, and it […]

Comparison of U.S. and E.U. Central Banking Ethics Rules

February 24, 2023

Emma Wittmer At the core of the global economy is a public trust in central banks to execute monetary policy fairly and without bias. In turn, public trust allows central banks to execute effective monetary and fiscal policy. Today, as central banks raise interest rates to dampen rising inflation, central banks are drawing more attention […]

Future of the Northern Ireland Protocol in Question on the Eve of the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement

February 24, 2023

Olivia Gulley On January 31, 2020, The United Kingdom officially left the European Union.[1] During Withdrawal Agreement negotiations between the UK and the EU, the Northern Ireland Protocol—a trade agreement involving the goods crossing the board between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland—was created.[2] The Northern Ireland Protocol has been a source of tension […]

Something’s in the Air: ‘Spy Balloons,’ High-Altitude Objects, and Vertical Sovereignty

February 17, 2023

Ian Johnson On January 28th, 2023, the United States identified an object entering United States’ airspace near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.[1] By Tuesday, January 31st, the object had drifted through western Canada and re-entered US territory near Idaho.[2] By the next day, February 1st, the object had made it further east, above Montana.[3]  This grabbed the […]

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! No, It’s a Spy Balloon! The International Law Implications of China’s Actions and the United States’ Response

February 17, 2023

Hannah Grayson All the news has been talking about in the past couple of weeks has been the Chinese spy balloon flying over the length of the continental United States.[1] Secretary of State Antony Blinken calls the balloon a “clear violation” of international law.[2] But, in what way is it a violation of international law? […]