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Self-defence in international law

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proportional, "since the act justified by the necessity of self-defence, must be limited by that necessity, and kept clearly within it." These statements by the US Secretary of State to the British authorities are accepted as an accurate description of the customary right of preemptive, or anticipatory, self-defense. They are sometimes mistakenly said to apply to all uses of force by states in self-defense.
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in exercise of this right of self-defense shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.
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Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of collective or individual self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by members
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The drafters’ intent was that collective force approved and organized by the Security Council would substitute for unilateral uses of force by states. However, some states were concerned that use of the veto power by one of the Council's permanent members might prevent that body from taking necessary
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case established that in order for one state to use force in the territory of another state which had not used force first there had to exist "a necessity of self-defence, instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice of means, and no moment of deliberation,' and furthermore that any action taken must be
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Some commentators believe that the effect of Article 51 is only to preserve this right when an armed attack occurs, and that other acts of self-defence are banned by article 2(4). Another view is that Article 51 acknowledges the previously existing customary international law right and then proceeds
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to lay down procedures for the specific situation when an armed attack does occur. Under the latter interpretation, the legitimate use of self-defence in situations when an armed attack has not actually occurred is still permitted, as in the
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All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.
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The traditional customary rules on preemptive self-defense derive from an early diplomatic incident between the United States and the United Kingdom over the killing of two US citizens who were on board a ship (the
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activities and the ship was peacefully at anchor in the U.S. when British forces attacked, burned the ship and sent it over Niagara Falls. The so-called
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The Caroline (Christopher Greenwood) in the context of international law - Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law
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case noted below. Not every act of violence will constitute an armed attack. The ICJ has tried to clarify, in
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Regulation of Preventive and Preemptive Force in the United Nations Charter: A Search for Original Intent,
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Provost’s Lecture Series on Global Issues - The People Speak: America Debates its Role in the World
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action, and they insisted upon inserting into the Charter an explicit right of self defense.
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The Avalon Project at Yale Law School: The Webster-Ashburton Treaty and The Caroline Case
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instant, overwhelming, and leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation
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The Caroline Case : Anticipatory Self-Defence in Contemporary International Law
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recognizes a right of self-defence according to the Chapter VII, Article 51 of
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Obituary of Neil MacGregor, one of the Upper Canada militiamen on the raid
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Chapter 7, "British Steamer is Burned by Patriots" in
37:, the Recovery of what's our own, and Punishment." 559: 454:The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary 45: 497:The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary 391:"Special Report: Israel and International Law," 19:, the 17th-century jurist and father of public 228:has been used to establish the principle of " 125:Customary international law and Caroline test 407:The Caroline Incident during the Patriot War 356:"Sorting out the "imminent threat" debate," 307:Domestic law issues related to self-defense 375:, Stony Brook University, October 15, 2003 296:Threat of force (public international law) 513:Encyclopedia of Public International Law, 482:Chapter VII, Article 51 of the UN Charter 254:Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter 216:Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter 83:Chapter VII, Article 51 of the UN Charter 71:Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter 60:Chapter I, Article 2(4) of the UN Charter 363:"Special Analysis: The Imminent Threat," 560: 384:London Review of Books, Vol. 24 No. 14 424:Northern New York In The Patriot War 365:windsofchange.net, September 4, 2003 322:Castle Doctrine in the United States 546:Wisconsin International Law Journal 13: 517:Self-Defense in International Law, 470:Wyoming Law Review, vol. 3, p. 663 358:, spinsanity.org, November 3, 2003 177:". These criteria are used in the 152: 14: 584: 301:Use of force in international law 23:, stated in his 1625 magnum opus 568:Aggression in international law 370:"Learning From Recent History," 535: 522: 502: 486: 475: 459: 443: 98:International Court of Justice 1: 343: 200:Charter of the United Nations 47:Charter of the United Nations 530:Dan Webster, Yale Law School 29:that "Most Men assign three 7: 515:vol. 1, p.538, and Bowett, 239: 214:has adopted measures under 161:is a standard criterion in 40: 10: 591: 236:(or preemption doctrine). 128: 230:anticipatory self-defense 327:Clear and present danger 26:The Law of War and Peace 426:, 1923, By L. N. Fuller 337:Imminent lawless action 184:preemptive self-defense 543:Raising the "Caroline" 395:The American Spectator 386:, 25 July 2002, pp 3–5 286:Security-related bills 173:. The threat must be " 100:(ICJ) affirmed in the 87: 64: 548:vol.17, p.325 (1994). 74: 51: 317:grievous bodily harm 202:, which states that 169:as he litigated the 259:Collective security 389:Matthew Omolesky, 31:Just Causes of War 380:"Jumping the Gun" 234:preemptive strike 204:sovereign nations 181:justification of 179:international law 163:international law 90:International law 21:international law 580: 549: 539: 533: 526: 520: 506: 500: 490: 484: 479: 473: 463: 457: 447: 291:Targeted killing 212:Security Council 206:may fend off an 157:As noted above, 85: 62: 590: 589: 583: 582: 581: 579: 578: 577: 558: 557: 555: 553: 552: 540: 536: 527: 523: 510:The Caroline in 507: 503: 494:Article 2(4) in 491: 487: 480: 476: 464: 460: 451:Article 2(4) in 448: 444: 378:Michael Byers, 346: 341: 332:Duty to retreat 271:Just war theory 242: 171:Caroline affair 165:, developed by 159:imminent threat 155: 153:Imminent threat 133: 127: 86: 81: 73: 63: 58: 50: 43: 12: 11: 5: 588: 587: 576: 575: 570: 551: 550: 534: 521: 501: 492:Randelzhofer, 485: 474: 458: 449:Randelzhofer, 441: 440: 439: 438: 434: 433: 428: 419: 414: 409: 404: 399: 387: 376: 368:Wolf Schäfer, 366: 359: 351: 350: 345: 342: 340: 339: 334: 329: 324: 319: 309: 308: 304: 303: 298: 293: 288: 283: 278: 273: 268: 261: 256: 251: 243: 241: 238: 167:Daniel Webster 154: 151: 129:Main article: 126: 123: 118:Nicaragua Case 103:Nicaragua Case 94:the UN Charter 79: 72: 69: 56: 49: 44: 42: 39: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 586: 585: 574: 571: 569: 566: 565: 563: 556: 547: 544: 538: 531: 525: 518: 514: 511: 505: 498: 495: 489: 483: 478: 471: 468: 462: 455: 452: 446: 442: 436: 435: 432: 429: 427: 425: 420: 418: 415: 413: 410: 408: 405: 403: 400: 397: 396: 392: 388: 385: 381: 377: 374: 371: 367: 364: 361:Dan Darling, 360: 357: 353: 352: 348: 347: 338: 335: 333: 330: 328: 325: 323: 320: 318: 314: 311: 310: 306: 305: 302: 299: 297: 294: 292: 289: 287: 284: 282: 281:Religious war 279: 277: 274: 272: 269: 267: 266: 265:Jus ad bellum 262: 260: 257: 255: 252: 250: 249: 245: 244: 237: 235: 231: 227: 225: 219: 217: 213: 209: 205: 201: 197: 193: 191: 186: 185: 180: 176: 172: 168: 164: 160: 150: 147: 143: 139: 132: 131:Caroline test 122: 120: 119: 114: 109: 105: 104: 99: 95: 91: 84: 78: 68: 61: 55: 48: 38: 36: 32: 28: 27: 22: 18: 573:Self-defense 554: 545: 542: 537: 524: 519:p.59 (1958). 516: 512: 509: 504: 496: 493: 488: 477: 469: 466: 461: 453: 450: 445: 423: 393: 383: 372: 263: 246: 223: 220: 208:armed attack 207: 189: 182: 174: 158: 156: 145: 141: 137: 134: 116: 112: 108:use of force 101: 88: 75: 65: 52: 34: 25: 17:Hugo Grotius 15: 354:Ben Fritz, 313:Bodily harm 276:Laws of war 248:Casus belli 562:Categories 344:References 210:until the 196:Article 51 142:Caroline's 541:Kearley, 465:Kearley, 398:, 7.18.06 96:, as the 240:See also 224:Caroline 190:Caroline 146:Caroline 138:Caroline 113:Caroline 80:—  57:—  41:Overview 499:(1994). 472:(2003). 456:(1994). 349:Sources 198:of the 106:on the 35:Defence 508:Meng, 226:affair 437:Notes 315:and 221:The 192:test 564:: 382:, 218:. 33:, 532:) 528:(

Index

Hugo Grotius
international law
The Law of War and Peace
Just Causes of War
Charter of the United Nations
Chapter I, Article 2(4) of the UN Charter
Chapter VII, Article 51 of the UN Charter
International law
the UN Charter
International Court of Justice
Nicaragua Case
use of force
Nicaragua Case
Caroline test
international law
Daniel Webster
Caroline affair
international law
preemptive self-defense
Caroline test
Article 51
Charter of the United Nations
sovereign nations
Security Council
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
Caroline affair
anticipatory self-defense
preemptive strike
Casus belli
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter

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