Diplomacy and Law

Collective security under the UN Charter enables the Security Council to address threats to international peace through sanctions and military enforcement. This article examines the legal foundations of Chapter VII, the historical experiences of Korea, Kuwait, and Libya, and the limitations imposed by the veto, political disagreements, and dependence on member states.

A coup d'état is usually unconstitutional under domestic law, but international law does not impose one universal rule making every coup unlawful. This article explains regional anti-coup regimes, human rights, non-intervention, state responsibility, recognition, and state continuity.

Hybrid courts combine national and international elements to prosecute serious crimes, but they do not follow a single legal model. This article examines the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Cambodia’s Extraordinary Chambers, the Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic, and the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, comparing their legal foundations, jurisdiction, judicial structures, and institutional limits.

UNCLOS compulsory conciliation allows states to initiate settlement proceedings in certain maritime disputes without the other party’s consent to that particular proceeding. This article examines when the procedure applies, how commissions operate under Annex V, and why their recommendations are non-binding. It also considers the Timor Sea conciliation between Timor-Leste and Australia.