Legal Unilateralism

Legal Unilateralism

Files

Description

In the wake of the United States’ invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the future of transatlantic relations has become a hot topic. Some are predicting that the next “clash of civilizations” will be between Europe and the United States while others, more sanguinely, contend that the political and economic fundamentals of the transatlantic relationship remain strong. I am content to leave these grander debates to non-lawyers capable of addressing them. The argument here is more focused on the emerging divergences in legal culture between Europe and the United States, particularly with respect to public international law and its institutions. My contention is that the perceived “unilateralism” of the U.S., which is the source of considerable transatlantic friction, has a legal dimension: European international lawyers take multilateralism more seriously than do many of their U.S. counterparts.

Source Publication

Wars on Terrorism and Iraq: Human Rights, Unilateralism, and U.S. Foreign Policy

Source Editors/Authors

Thomas G. Weiss, Margaret E. Crahan, John Goering

Publication Date

2004

Legal Unilateralism

Share

COinS