UNE School of Law Annual Sir Frank Kitto Public Lecture 2024 – Professor Ben Saul
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“International Law after Ukraine and Gaza”
Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and Israel’s never-ending occupation of Palestine, invite soul-searching about the capacity of international law to prevent and remedy violations of its most sacrosanct rules, including the prohibitions on the use of military force and the acquisition of foreign territory by force, the right of self-determination of peoples, international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
These examples also expose double standards in the enforcement of international law, where certain groups of states do not practice what they preach about a “rules b based international order” and seem surprised when other groups of states bend the rules to suit their own interests.
This lecture considers where international law is failing and why, but it also explores reasons for optimism and how the system can be strengthened to fulfill its promises of peace, security and human dignity.