Conflicts Between Jus Cogens Norms - A Study of their Possibility, Resolvability and Implications
(2018) JURM02 20182Department of Law
Faculty of Law
- Abstract
- Jus cogens norms are norms which the international community has agreed are peremptory in the international legal system. However, several issues regarding these norms are left unresolved in current international law. This thesis concerns three of those issues, namely, if jus cogens norms can conflict with one another, how those conflicts in that case could be resolved, and lastly, what they could imply.
However one defines norm conflicts in general in international law, and whichever norms one considers to have the status of jus cogens, it would be perfectly viable to claim that conflicts between jus cogens norms are an impossibility. Nevertheless, Christófolo and Jeutner separately argue that the conflicts are possible.
Therefore,... (More) - Jus cogens norms are norms which the international community has agreed are peremptory in the international legal system. However, several issues regarding these norms are left unresolved in current international law. This thesis concerns three of those issues, namely, if jus cogens norms can conflict with one another, how those conflicts in that case could be resolved, and lastly, what they could imply.
However one defines norm conflicts in general in international law, and whichever norms one considers to have the status of jus cogens, it would be perfectly viable to claim that conflicts between jus cogens norms are an impossibility. Nevertheless, Christófolo and Jeutner separately argue that the conflicts are possible.
Therefore, assuming that they in fact are possible, five resolution methods are presented as options regarding how to deal with the conflicts, more specifically: legal interpretation, weighing and balancing, judicial law-making and a liberal approach, legal gaps and non liquet declarations, and the product of my own contemplations, which is a hierarchy of the jus cogens norms within and at the top of the existing hierarchy in international law.
These resolution methods are subsequently applied on the jus cogens norm conflict that might have appeared in the case concerning the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons. The benefits as well as the shortcomings of each method is reflected upon with respect to the circumstances of the case, with the result that none of them seem preferable in the specific case.
Having explained and exemplified jus cogens norm conflicts, a discussion on potential systemic- and social implications of the conflicts follow, resulting in that the conflicts seem undesirable from most aspects, although they from certain aspects may in a de lege ferenda perspective also appear desirable as the system of international law progresses.
Overall, the research prompts me to suggest that, in order to come to terms with the possibility, resolvability and implications of jus cogens norm conflicts, we need to increase our understanding of the conflicts in question. The aim of that enterprise should be to be able to shape and improve international law and the international legal system the way we collectively want, and I am certain that it is solely by discussing the fundamental questions which concern the very core of them that we can. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Jus cogens-normer är normer som det internationella samfundet har kommit överens om är tvingande i det internationella rättssystemet. Flertalet ouppklarade problem när det kommer till dessa normer kvarstår dock i gällande internationell rätt. Den förevarande uppsatsen behandlar tre av dessa problem, nämligen om konflikter mellan jus cogens-normer är möjliga, hur de konflikterna i så fall skulle kunna lösas och slutligen vad de skulle kunna innebära.
Hur än normkonflikter generellt definieras i internationell rätt, och vilka normer som än utgör jus cogens-normer, skulle det vara gångbart att förespråka att konflikter mellan jus cogens-normer är en omöjlighet. Trots det hävdar Christófolo och Jeutner var för sig att jus cogens-normer... (More) - Jus cogens-normer är normer som det internationella samfundet har kommit överens om är tvingande i det internationella rättssystemet. Flertalet ouppklarade problem när det kommer till dessa normer kvarstår dock i gällande internationell rätt. Den förevarande uppsatsen behandlar tre av dessa problem, nämligen om konflikter mellan jus cogens-normer är möjliga, hur de konflikterna i så fall skulle kunna lösas och slutligen vad de skulle kunna innebära.
Hur än normkonflikter generellt definieras i internationell rätt, och vilka normer som än utgör jus cogens-normer, skulle det vara gångbart att förespråka att konflikter mellan jus cogens-normer är en omöjlighet. Trots det hävdar Christófolo och Jeutner var för sig att jus cogens-normer faktiskt kan hamna i konflikt.
Förutsatt att konflikterna är möjliga presenteras fem resolutionsmetoder som beskriver hur konflikterna skulle kunna hanteras, mer specifikt: juridisk tolkning, vägning och balansering, rättslig lagstiftning och ett liberalt tillvägagångssätt, rättsliga glapp och non liquet-deklarationer, och produkten av mina egna tankar, vilket är en hierarki av jus cogens-normerna inom och i toppen av den existerande hierarkin i internationell rätt.
Resolutionsmetoderna är sedermera tillämpade på den jus cogens-normkonflikt som eventuellt uppenbarade sig i fallet om legaliteten av hotet eller användningen av kärnvapen. Fördelarna så väl som tillkortakommandena av varje metod är reflekterade kring i ljuset av omständigheterna i fallet, med resultatet att ingen av dem verkar fördelaktig i det aktuella fallet.
Efter att ha förklarat och exemplifierat konflikter mellan jus cogens-normer följer en diskussion om potentiella systemiska- och sociala implikationer av konflikterna, vilken resulterar i att konflikterna inte verkar önskvärda sedda från flest aspekter, även om de från vissa aspekter utifrån ett de lege ferenda-perspektiv också skulle kunna verka önskvärda i takt med att det internationella rättssystemet utvecklas.
För att komma till rätta med möjligheten, lösningsbarheten och implikationerna av jus cogens-normkonflikter får den sammantagna undersökningen mig att föreslå att vi måste öka förståelsen för konflikterna ifråga. Syftet med det bör i sig vara att kunna forma och förbättra internationell rätt och det internationella rättssystemet som vi kollektivt vill, och jag är övertygad om att det enbart är genom att diskutera de fundamentala frågorna som rör kärnan av dem som vi kan det. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8964631
- author
- Rosspher, Sofia LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- JURM02 20182
- year
- 2018
- type
- H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
- subject
- keywords
- Public International Law
- language
- English
- id
- 8964631
- date added to LUP
- 2019-01-28 12:42:26
- date last changed
- 2019-01-28 12:42:26
@misc{8964631,
abstract = {{Jus cogens norms are norms which the international community has agreed are peremptory in the international legal system. However, several issues regarding these norms are left unresolved in current international law. This thesis concerns three of those issues, namely, if jus cogens norms can conflict with one another, how those conflicts in that case could be resolved, and lastly, what they could imply.
However one defines norm conflicts in general in international law, and whichever norms one considers to have the status of jus cogens, it would be perfectly viable to claim that conflicts between jus cogens norms are an impossibility. Nevertheless, Christófolo and Jeutner separately argue that the conflicts are possible.
Therefore, assuming that they in fact are possible, five resolution methods are presented as options regarding how to deal with the conflicts, more specifically: legal interpretation, weighing and balancing, judicial law-making and a liberal approach, legal gaps and non liquet declarations, and the product of my own contemplations, which is a hierarchy of the jus cogens norms within and at the top of the existing hierarchy in international law.
These resolution methods are subsequently applied on the jus cogens norm conflict that might have appeared in the case concerning the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons. The benefits as well as the shortcomings of each method is reflected upon with respect to the circumstances of the case, with the result that none of them seem preferable in the specific case.
Having explained and exemplified jus cogens norm conflicts, a discussion on potential systemic- and social implications of the conflicts follow, resulting in that the conflicts seem undesirable from most aspects, although they from certain aspects may in a de lege ferenda perspective also appear desirable as the system of international law progresses.
Overall, the research prompts me to suggest that, in order to come to terms with the possibility, resolvability and implications of jus cogens norm conflicts, we need to increase our understanding of the conflicts in question. The aim of that enterprise should be to be able to shape and improve international law and the international legal system the way we collectively want, and I am certain that it is solely by discussing the fundamental questions which concern the very core of them that we can.}},
author = {{Rosspher, Sofia}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Conflicts Between Jus Cogens Norms - A Study of their Possibility, Resolvability and Implications}},
year = {{2018}},
}