PIL Flashcards
Succession of States
-Political laws are abrogated while municipal laws remain in force.
-Treaties are discontinued except those dealing with local rights and duties
-All rights of the predecessor state are inherited but successor state can assume and reject liabilities at its discretion
Succession of Governments (ISRCV)
-The integrity of the State is not affected
-The state continues as the SAME international person but its lawful representative has changed
-All rights of the predecessor government are inherited by the successor
-Where the new government was organized through constiutional reform duly ratified in a plebiscite, all of the obligations of the predecessor government are assumed
-If the new government was established through violence, the new govt may reject purely personal or political obligations of the predecessor BUT NOT THOSE OBLIGATIONS CONTRACTED IN THE ORDINARY COURSE OF OFFICIAL BUSINESS
Independent States
Has freedom to direct and control foreign relations without restraint from other states
Dependent State
An entity, although a state, does not have full freedom in the direction of its external affairs
Suzerainty
The result of a concession from a state to a former colony that is allowed to be independent subject to the retention by the former sovereign of certain powers over external affairs of the latter
Protectorate
Established at the request of the weaker state for the protection by a stronger power
Neutralized
A state whose independence and sovereignty are guaranteed by an international treaty on the condition that such state obligates itself never take up arms against other states (XP: self defense) or enter into any obligation indirectly involved in a war
Holy See
The Holy See is an international person with which the Philippines has diplomatic ties
Colony
A dependent political community consisting of a number of citizens of the same country who have immigrated therefrom to inhabit another country BUT REMAIN SUBJECT TO THE MOTHER STATE
Dependency
A territory distinct from the country in which the supreme sovereignty resides but belongs rightfully to it and subject to the laws and regulations which the sovereignty may prescribe
Purpose of the UN (PHAM-D)
- Prevention of war
- Maintenance of international peace and security
- Development of friendly relations among members of the international community
- Attainment of international cooperation
- Harmony in the action of nations
Functions of UN / Security Council
- Primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security;
- Investigate disputes and call disputants to settle their differences through peaceful means;
- Recommend methods of adjustment of disputes;
- Determine existence of threats to peace, breach of peace, acts of aggression;
- Make appropriate recommendations; and
- Undertake preventive and enforcement actions
Countries in the security council
MAIN: France, USA, China, UK, Russia
ELECTIVE MEMBERS: 5 African or Asian, 2 Latin American, 2 Western European,1 Eastern European
Preventive Actions
Provisional measures to prevent a conflict from worsening and may involve the deployment of peacekeeping/ observers missions.
Enforcement actions
Deployment of sea, air and land forces or in the institution of a blockade. (Ex. PH sending forces to Afghanistan)
Only applicable in international disputes.
Current Secretary General
António Guterres from Portugal
Legal sovereignty (LRPTP)
Equal in law, rights of sovereignty, personality, territorial integrity, and political independence respected by others
Act of state doctrine
Every sovereign state is bound to respect the independence of every other state
Courts in one country will not sit in judgment on the acts of another done in the latter’s territory
Legal effects of sovereign equality on jurisdiction
International - a state cannot be sued or be compelled to arbitrate or mediate without its consent
Domestic - Domestic matters cannot be interfered with by other states
UN Charter Art. 2 (7)
Nothing in the UN charter shall be construed to authorize the UN to intervene in matters that are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state
State Immunity
A state enjoys immunity from the exercise of jurisdiction by another state
XP: 1. It has given its consent
2. Waived immunity
3. Voluntarily submitted itself to the jurisdiction of the court
Immunity granted to merchant ships
The right of innocent passage - immunity from molestation while within another state’s territorial waters
- This does not grant them immunity from suit should they commit a criminal act in that jurisdiction
Immunity granted to warships and governmental ships
Covered by doctrine of state immunity
Governmental Functions
Compulsory functions which constitute the very bonds of society
Ex. Maintenance of peace and order
PIL Ministerial functions
Optional functions of the government intended for achieving a better life for the community
Ex. Undertaking to supply water for a price
Rationae Materiae
Immunity for public acts while done while in office
May still be invoked after a public officer has stepped down
Ex. Marcos cannot claim immunity for committing torture and killings when he was head of state
Rationae Personae
Immunity for private acts while done in office
May no longer be invoked when public officer has stepped down from office
Restrictive application of state immunity
This immunity is only applicable to governmental functions not ministerial functions
Par in parem imperium non habet
An equal has no power over the other
Immunity of International Organizations
This is granted because the functions they perform are so important as to merit the organizations and their staff privileges and immunities to allow them to perform their tasks more efficiently.
Territory
The fixed portion on the surface of the earth on which the state settles and over which is exercises supreme authority
Proof of sovereignty
Having one’s own territory is proof of sovereignty and an assertion of independence
It comes with a correlative duty to respect other state’s right to exercise sovereignty over their own territory