RSS EJIL: Talk!

  • The Legality of Recognizing Somaliland 28/01/2026
    On 26 December 2025, Israel became the first state to formally recognize Somaliland as a state. The reactions of the international community have ranged between negative, cautious, neutral and silence. While Somaliland has welcomed Israel’s recognition, others have argued that its recognition is unwise, dangerous and illegal. This contribution will explore the legal contours of […]
    Eran Sthoeger
  • Beyond Residual Functions: The IRMCT, the ‘Stateless Eight’, and the Human Rights Obligations of Security Council Subsidiaries 27/01/2026
    On 10 December 2025, the Security Council once again debated the future of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT). As in previous sessions, delegations diverged sharply in their assessments of the tribunal: France, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Korea underscored the importance of retaining international authority over things like sentence enforcement […]
    Kate McInnes
  • The Prohibitions of Threat of Force Revisited: Greenland, Credibility and International Law 26/01/2026
    In the beginning of January, following reported United States actions against Venezuela and threats by President Trump against Cuba, Colombia and Mexico, there were renewed statements by President Trump regarding the annexation of Greenland. President Trump stated that “we need Greenland from the standpoint of national security”. On 6 January, it was reported that the […]
    Louisa Handel-Mazzetti
  • Two Weeks in Review: 12—23 January 2026 25/01/2026
    It has been a packed fortnight, as commentators continue to come to grips with the US attack on Venezuela and begin to grapple with the US’s escalating designs on Greenland. A joint symposium with Just Security on Negotiating a Treaty on Crimes Against Humanity, the latest issue of EJIL, and various developments at the ICC […]
    Sebastian von Massow
  • The Davos Trap on Greenland 23/01/2026
    The dispute about Greenland has been conducted by the US as a zero-sum game. Either ‘ownership’ over Greenland would be handed over to Washington, or else economic sanctions or worse would be applied to Denmark and her European allies. It was all or nothing until earlier this week.  There is a general sense that NATO […]
    Marc Weller
  • Through an ICJ Lense, Legal Attacks on Denmark’s Title to Greenland Would Fail 23/01/2026
    “You know, because a boat landed there 500 years ago and then left, that doesn’t give you title.” So said the American President upon departing for Davos. It should come as no surprise that Donald Trump challenges Denmark’s title to Greenland. A favorite tactic of real estate magnates is to strip the owner’s title to […]
    Michael J. Kelly
  • Which Immunity for Nicolás Maduro? Personal immunity, Inviolability, and the Implausible Exceptions the US Might Claim 22/01/2026
    On 3 January 2025, the US carried out a military operation on Venezuelan territory that culminated in the capture and removal of Nicolás Maduro and his wife. This operation plainly breaches Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and may amount to an act of aggression (as explained here, here or here). Not only that, but […]
    Adrián Agenjo
  • More Ideas and Less CV? 21/01/2026
    Various EJIL editorials have highlighted some of the dangers to the integrity of academic life of excessive reliance on quantitative indicators in assessing the excellence or otherwise of scholars in the different stages of an academic career, be it selection to a Post Doc programme, initial appointment as faculty or subsequent promotion. Why Not to […]
    Sarah Nouwen
  • The ICC’s Residual Jurisdiction & the Situation in the Philippines 20/01/2026
    Background On 23 October 2025, the International Criminal Court’s (‘ICC’) Pre-Trial Chamber I (‘PTC’) dismissed Duterte’s challenge to the Court’s jurisdiction. Duterte, to recall, was arrested in March 2025 on allegations of crimes against humanity in the context of the Philippine government’s anti-narcotics campaign. Seemingly, Duterte’s case presents a novel issue for the ICC. During […]
    Gemmo Bautista Fernandez
  • In This Issue – Reviews 20/01/2026
    This issue includes four book reviews that address, from different perspectives, varied experiences and expertise, and distinct methods, the ways in which international law can both limit state violence and violations of human dignity, but also, in some respects, endorse or reproduce the dynamics that enable practices of violence and oppression of human dignity. Françoise […]
    Anne Lagerwall