The Constitutional Crisis in Iraq: What Can the Federal Supreme Court Do?

Contemplate the ongoing deadlock in Iraq following French historian Fernand Braudel's classification of two spans of time, two durées. One is the longue durée: how does the Federal Supreme Court (FSC), and the Iraqi judiciary in general, shape the rule of law for the Iraqi citizen, and for the body politic of Iraq at large? The other is immediate, and addresses the half-year-long constitutional crisis

'A conversation to be had' on war and law: Obama's Nobel speech

Even more than in the Cairo address, the Nobel speech will mark the Obama legacy. The subject is pithy, combining defense, foreign affairs and international law on the most difficult subject that human kind has ever addressed: war. Thanks to the entreaty of the Nobel committee, which forced the US president to articulate his vision of best use for the most powerful military machine in the world, one is now able to measure action against words

Coddling Dictators is Annan's Bad Habit

Op-ed

Beware of Sudan's Secessionist Demons

Democracy means sorting out problems together, not going ones own way in a separate state every time there is disagreement. Only a miracle can save Sudan from the demons of secession. The precedent set could be devastating for the Middle East and well beyond

Reconciliation in Iraq: Taking the Constitution Seriously

Reconciliation, which draws the necessary constitutional principles over which Iraqi parliamentarians are called on to vote, and the Iraqi citizens to endorse (or reject) in a national referendum, offers a far better way than any other type of reconciliation. An improved Iraqi constitution provides an institutionalized reconciliation of unprecedented legal portent in the region

Madhat al-Mahmood, Chief Justice of Iraq: Portrait of the Judge as Hero

Iraqi judges have offered to their country in the past five years a dedication unmatched elsewhere on the planet. Nothing short of heroism. At the heart of all the work, and the dedication, is the leadership of Mahmood. Iraqis know, by and large, about this dedication, and call upon the court for redress whenever they can. In due course, Iraqi politicians will follow suit

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the staring abyss and what must be done about it

The STL, the UN and Lebanon must all contribute to avert an explosive situation in the countr