lesson 13 - state responsibility

8/8/2019 Lesson 13 - State Responsibility

1/12

International LawInternational Law

State ResponsibilityState ResponsibilityProf. Tomer BroudeProf. Tomer Broude


2/12

What is State Responsibility?What is State Responsibility?

TheThe primaryprimary setset ofof rulesrules ofof internationalinternational lawlaw areare thethe

substantivesubstantive rightsrights andand obligationsobligations:: thethe rulesrules thatthat

regulateregulate statestate behaviorbehavior..

WhenWhen therethere isis aa breachbreach ofof thethe primaryprimary rules,rules, StateStateresponsibilityresponsibility constitutesconstitutes thethe secondarysecondary setset ofof rulesrules

thatthat determinedetermine whatwhat thethe legallegal consequencesconsequences ofof thethe

breachbreach..

RulesRules ofof statestate responsibilityresponsibility determinedetermine::

-- whowho isis thethe internationalinternational legallegal subjectsubject whowho isis

responsibleresponsible forfor thethe breachbreach;;

-- whatwhat areare thethe legallegal consequencesconsequences ofof thethe breachbreach..


3/12

Example:Example:

Is Serbia Internationally Responsible forIs Serbia Internationally Responsible for

Genocide at Srebrenica?Genocide at Srebrenica? ICTYICTY andand ICJICJ havehave determineddetermined thatthat thethe internationalinternational crimecrime

ofof GenocideGenocide waswas committedcommitted atat SrebrenicaSrebrenica..

WhoWho isis responsible?responsible? IsIs Serbia?Serbia?

InIn thethe GenocideGenocide case,case, thethe ICJICJ determineddetermined thatthat SerbiaSerbia isis

notnot responsibleresponsible forfor thethe actionsactions ofof thethe peoplepeople whowho commitedcommitedgenocide,genocide, waswas notnot anan accompliceaccomplice inin genocide,genocide, butbut isis onlyonlyresponsibleresponsible forfor notnot preventingpreventing genocidegenocide..

TheThe resultresult isis thatthat aa seriousserious internationalinternational crimecrime waswas nonocommited,commited, andand nono statestate isis responsibleresponsible forfor itit..

HowHow dodo youyou reachreach aa resultresult likelike this?this? HowHow dodo youyou justifyjustify it?it?..


4/12

The status of Rules onThe status of Rules on

International StateInternational State

ResponsibilityResponsibility

InternationalInternational customarycustomary lawlaw waswas veryvery

rudimentaryrudimentary..

ILCILC workwork resultedresulted inin 20012001 DraftDraft ArticlesArticles

onon ResponsibilityResponsibility ofof StatesStates forfor

InternationallyInternationally WrongfulWrongful ActsActs.. NeverNever adoptedadopted asas aa convention,convention, butbut

todaytoday thethe draftdraft articlearticle areare consideredconsidered

largelylargely customarycustomary internationalinternational lawlaw..


5/12

The Main Elements ofThe Main Elements of

State ResponsibilityState Responsibility TwoTwo mainmain elementselements::

1.1. ParticularParticular conductconduct thatthat isis inconsistentinconsistent withwithanan internationalinternational obligationobligation..

2.2. ImputabilityImputability ofof thethe inconsistentinconsistent conductconduct totothethe StateState (or(or toto anotheranother internationalinternational actor)actor)..

WhatWhat determinesdetermines thethe existenceexistence ofof thethe firstfirst

element?element? TheThe substantive,substantive, primaryprimary rulesrules ofof internationalinternational

lawlaw..

TheThe secondsecond elementelement isis determineddetermined byby thethe rulesrulesofof imputabilityimputability inin thethe DraftDraft ArticlesArticles..


6/12

Act or Omission?Act or Omission?

CanCan aa statestate passivelypassively breachbreach internationalinternational lawlaw eg,eg, thethe FederalFederal USUS governmentgovernment diddid notnot preventprevent thetheexecutionexecution ofof Medellin,Medellin, aa governmentgovernment doesntdoesnt allowallowaccessaccess toto POWs?POWs?

ArticleArticle 22 DraftDraft ArticlesArticles:: conductconduct consistingconsisting ofof ananactact oror omissionomission..

InIn thethe genocidegenocide case,case, SerbiaSerbia diddid notnot commitcommitgenocide,genocide, nornor diddid itit causecause GenocideGenocide byby omissionomission..

InsteadInstead itit waswas responsibleresponsible forfor notnot preventingpreventingGenocideGenocide..

TheThe dutyduty toto preventprevent actionaction oror omission?omission? AnAnobligationobligation ofof actionaction oror anan obligationobligation ofof result?result?

ICJICJ:: AnAn obligationobligation toto act,act, withinwithin thethe boundsbounds ofofinternationalinternational lawlaw..


7/12

The Question of FaultThe Question of Fault

MensMens ReaRea isis itit necessarynecessary toto showshow thatthat aa statestate (ie,(ie, itsitsorgans)organs) intendedintended toto violateviolate ILIL oror werewere reckless?reckless?

GenerallyGenerally nono.. ButBut MensMens ReaRea cancan enterenter throughthrough thethe backback

doordoor..

ForFor example,example, throughthrough standardsstandards ofof conductconduct inin specificspecificinternationalinternational rules,rules, suchsuch asas ArticleArticle 2222 VCDR,VCDR, thatthat requiresrequires

statesstates toto taketake allall appropriateappropriate meansmeans toto protectprotect embassiesembassies..

ForFor exampleexample:: Article Article 1818 DraftDraft Articles Articles aa statestate isisresponsibleresponsible forfor coercingcoercing anotheranother statestate toto violateviolateinternationalinternational lawlaw ifif itit diddid soso withwith knowledgeknowledge ofof thethe

circumstancescircumstances..


8/12

The Question of DamageThe Question of Damage

DoesDoes statestate ResponsibilityResponsibility dependdepend onon thethe

existenceexistence ofof damage?damage?

GenerallyGenerally thisthis willwill dependdepend onon thethe primaryprimary rulerule..IfIf damagedamage isis anan elementelement ofof thethe wrong,wrong, thanthan

damagedamage isis requiredrequired..

ForFor example,example, harmharm toto anan embassyembassy requiresrequires

damage,damage, whereaswhereas trespassingtrespassing doesdoes notnot..

Or,Or, oneone cancan seesee allall violationsviolations asas legallegal injuryinjury..


9/12

Who implicates the state inWho implicates the state in

an international wrong?an international wrong?

WhoseWhose actsacts cancan bebe imputedimputed toto thethe state?state?

ThereThere mustmust bebe somesome relationshiprelationship toto thethe statestate asas anan actoractor.. TheThestatestate cannotcannot bebe responsibleresponsible forfor thethe actsacts ofof allall itsits citizenscitizens..

ArticleArticle 44 DADA:: AnyAny organorgan ofof thethe statestate.. AnAn organorgan ofof thethe statestate isis whoeverwhoever thethe internalinternal lawlaw ofof thethe statestate

sayssays isis anan organorgan.. ThisThis includesincludes federalfederal subsub--unitsunits..

What about private contractors hired by the state?What about private contractors hired by the state?

ArticleArticle 55 DA: PersonsDA: Persons exercising elements of governmentexercising elements of government

authorityauthority even if they are not organs can also implicate theeven if they are not organs can also implicate the statestate(military contractors, public utilities).(military contractors, public utilities).

Iranian students in the US embassy?Iranian students in the US embassy?

ArticleArticle 88 DA: PersonsDA: Persons directed or controlleddirected or controlled by the State.by the State.

Serbia caseSerbia case republika srpska units did not satisfy any ofrepublika srpska units did not satisfy any ofthese.these.


10/12

Circumstances precludingCircumstances precluding

WrongfulnessWrongfulness Consent of the injured stateConsent of the injured state

self defenseself defense

countermeasures for an internationalcountermeasures for an international

wrongwrong

force majeureforce majeure

distressdistress

necessitynecessity


11/12

RemediesRemedies

OnceOnce responsibilityresponsibility isis determined,determined,whatwhat areare thethe legallegal

consequences?consequences?CessationCessation ofof thethe breachbreach..

InIn casecase ofof injuryinjury:: restitutionrestitution oror

reparationreparation.. OrOr satisfaction,satisfaction, asas inin thethe SerbiaSerbia

casecase..


12/12

CountermeasuresCountermeasures SelfSelf

Help in EnforcementHelp in Enforcement TheThe onlyonly optionoption inin anan anarchicanarchic systemsystem.. IsIs anyany

countermeasurecountermeasure legitimate?legitimate?

RestrictionsRestrictions::

NoNo useuse ofof forceforce NoNo violationsviolations ofof humanhuman rights,rights, humanitarianhumanitarian

law,law, jusjus cogenscogens

ProportionalityProportionality SubSub judicejudice

All All subjectsubject toto lexlex specialisspecialis systemssystems ofofenforcementenforcement (eg,(eg, WTO)WTO)..

lesson 13 - state responsibility

Documents