Introduction In times of political crisis and attacks against the foundations of political liberalism, can we put our trust in lawyers and other legal occupations to fight for our freedoms, when they are under attack? The role of the legal profession in the rise, development, and resilience of political liberalism — basic legal freedoms, an open civil society, and a moderate state — has been central to a body of work commonly framed as “the legal complex”. It has tracked the phenomenon of the legal profession mobilizing in the name of the law across time and space — “as stewards of values they understood as implicit in the very idea of the rule of law – even-handedness, due process, freedom of expression, political moderation, limited executive power” (Feeley and Langford 2021, 3)—indeed, where the very nature of the institution of law is what is ideationally defended.
Study of International Law
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The Indus Waters Treaty ‘in abeyance’: Legal implications of India’s unilateral water releases into Pakistan-Administered Kashmir
On April 27, 2025, an unexpected rise in water levels of the Jhelum river in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir [‘PAK’] caused flooding in the region, with residents struggling to ‘protect lives and property’. A week later, India again released water from dams in Indian-Administered Kashmir [‘IAK’] without notifying Pakistan that water levels in the Chenab river would rise…
Unchanging Waters: Persian Gulf Name Dispute in International Law
On May 7, the Associated Press published an unconfirmed report indicating that the Trump Administration is considering adopting the term “Arabian Gulf” in place of the historically established name “Persian Gulf.” During a press briefing, President Trump remained deliberately noncommittal, stating, “I don’t want to hurt any feelings,” and added that he would make a final…
Mind Your Attitude: The Erosion of International Law?
Recurring breaches and non-enforcement of international law have persisted since the adoption of the UN Charter and the establishment of the post-World War II (WWII) legal order, which remains in place today. Scholars have repeatedly issued death certificates to Article 2.4 of the UN Charter and have raised fundamental questions about the weaknesses of this legal system and…
Punishing Sanctions: A Call to Arms Against Fortress America
Being an international lawyer can sometimes feel like being a librarian in the middle of a riot. You are deeply invested in the idea that there are rules – impeccable legal rules – that, if followed, would make the world a better, more orderly, place. You clutch well-thumbed and thoroughly annotated copies of the Nicaragua case,…