The Syrian Conflict’s Impact on International Law
Summary
Written as the decade-long Syria conflict nears an end, this is the first book-length treatment of how the Syrian war has changed international law. In The Syrian Conflict's Impact on International Law, the authors explain the history of the current conflict in Syria and discuss the principles and process of customary international law formation and the phenomenon of accelerated formation of customary international law known as Grotian Moments. They then explore specific examples, including how use of force against ISIS in Syria has changed the law of self-defense against non-state actors, how the allied airstrikes in response to Syria's use of chemical weapons have changed the law of humanitarian intervention, and others. This book seeks to contribute both to understanding the concept of accelerated formation of customary international law and the specific ways the Syria conflict has led to development of new norms and principles in several areas of international law.
Asser Institute Virtual Book Discussion
Click on the image above to watch The Syrian Conflict’s Impact on International Law virtual book discussion with the Asser Institute, which featured a panel discussion with authors Michael Scharf, Milena Sterio, and Dr. Paul R. Williams, moderated by Rebecca Mignot-Mahdavi.
Virtual book launch panel discussion
Click on the image above to watch The Syrian Conflict’s Impact on International Law virtual launch, which featured a panel discussion with authors Michael Scharf, Milena Sterio, and Dr. Paul R. Williams, moderated by Kevin Nealer of the Scowcroft Group.
PRAISE for The syrian conflict’s impact on international law
"Loaded with eye-opening insights, award-winning authors Michael Scharf, Milena Sterio, and Paul Williams provide a compelling account of how the Syrian conflict has changed international law.” -Richard J. Goldstone, founding Chief Prosecutor of the Yugoslavia and Rwanda Tribunals
"Using the Syrian crisis as the focus, this is one of the best books on how international law evolves in response to conflict in recent years. Whether you are a government official or a casual reader with an appetite for understanding current events, this is a book you should read." -John B. Bellinger, III, Former Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State and National Security Council
“This book, written by three leading experts, explores the most fundamental legal issues regarding the Syrian crisis.” -Navi Pillay, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
“Like World War II and the Vietnam War, the Syrian conflict is changing international law in fundamental ways. This is the first book to explore those changes comprehensively, while providing broader insights on what they mean to the international legal system.” -David Wippman, President of Hamilton College
“The armed conflict in Syria over this past decade raised numerous difficult questions for international lawyers. … Written by three leading experts who have both academic and practical experience with the Syria crisis, this book seeks to answer those pressing questions, while offering fascinating insights into how international law develops in response to crises in modern times.” -Sean Murphy, President of the American Society of International Law
The Syrian War’s Forcing Effect on International Law by Dan E. Stigall, Just Security
“…[presents] a uniquely comprehensive effort to explain the war and the international legal rules that purport to govern the activity of most of the actors on the Syrian battlefield (nation-states, armed opposition groups, terrorist groups, etc.). The book successfully reaches beyond the single conflict and explicates how international law is evolving in this era of “new wars.” In addition to providing readers with one of the most useful histories and elucidations of the key events in the Syrian conflict, the authors offer an insightful view of its impact on international law.”
“The book’s final chapter provides what is perhaps the most detailed and insightful history of the Syrian peace process in contemporary literature.”
“The Syrian Conflict’s Impact on International Law stands out as an essential text and resource for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers seeking an in-depth understanding of the Syrian conflict and the related international legal issues. It masterfully explains international law as it relates to complex conflicts, but also defines several instances in which new rules and doctrines of customary international law have rapidly emerged.”
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Authors
Michael Scharf
Michael Scharf is the Dean of the Law School and the Joseph C. Hostetler-BakerHostetler Professor of Law at Case Western Reserve University. He serves as Managing Director of the Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG), a Nobel Peace Prize-nominated NGO. He has led USAID-funded transitional justice projects in Uganda, Cote d'Ivoire, Libya, and Turkey (for Syria), and maritime piracy projects in Kenya, Mauritius, and The Seychelles. Scharf is the author of over 100 scholarly articles and 19 books, four of which have won national book of the year honors. Since 2013, Scharf has been the producer and host of "Talking Foreign Policy," a radio program broadcast on WCPN 90.3 FM and other NPR affiliates across the country.
Milena Sterio
Milena Sterio is the Charles R. Emrick Jr. – Calfee Halter & Griswold Professor of Law at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Previously, she was an associate in the New York City firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton and an Adjunct Law Professor at Cornell, where she taught in the International War Crimes Clinic. She has published numerous law review articles and six books. Professor Sterio is an editor of the prestigious IntLawGrrls blog. In the spring 2013, Professor Sterio was a Fulbright Scholar in Baku, Azerbaijan, at Baku State University. She is a Board Member at the Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG).
Dr. Paul R. Williams
Dr. Paul R. Williams holds the Rebecca I. Grazier Professorship in Law and International Relations at American University where he teaches in the School of International Service and at the Washington College of Law. Dr. Williams is also the co-founder of the Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG), a pro bono law firm providing legal assistance to states and governments involved in peace negotiations, post-conflict constitution drafting, and the prosecution of war criminals. As a world renowned peace negotiation lawyer, Dr. Williams has assisted over two dozen parties in major international peace negotiations and has advised numerous parties on the drafting and implementation of post-conflict constitutions. Several of Dr. Williams' pro bono government clients throughout the world joined together to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Dr. Williams has served as a Senior Associate with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, as well as an Attorney-Adviser for European and Canadian affairs at the U.S. Department of State, Office of the Legal Adviser. He received his J.D. from Stanford Law School and his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. Dr. Williams is a sought-after international law and policy expert. He is frequently interviewed by major print and broadcast media and regularly contributes op-eds to major newspapers. Dr. Williams has authored six books on various topics concerning international law, and has published over three dozen scholarly articles on topics of international law and policy. Dr. Williams is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations, and has served as a Counsellor on the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law.