Researching International Environmental Law CJIELP Training Jane Thompson, Wise Law Library September 20, 2007

Electronic Research Guides for Int’l Environmental Law ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law: IEL - E.B. Wms. (Georgetown) Library Int’l Legal Research Research Guides & Tutorials - alEnvironmentalLaw.cfm (IEL Guide) & (Treaties Tutorial) alEnvironmentalLaw.cfm Leanne Walther (CU), Treaty Research Guide – guide.htm guide.htm Stephanie Weigman, Researching Non-U.S. Treaties,

Int’l Environmental Law: Texts and Reference Tools Guruswamy & Doran, International Environmental Law in a Nutshell (3 rd ed. 2007, on Reserve) Kiss & Shelton, Int’l Envtl. Law (3 rd ed. 2004) Guide to Int’l Legal Research (annual, GWU, in Reference) Parry and Grant, Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Int’l Law (2d ed. 2004)

IEL: Current Awareness Current Awareness BNA, International Environment Reporter (biweekly) and BNA International Environment Daily via Lawpac Greenwire (daily news service)—full text on LexisNexis Online Discussion Lists (see ASIL Guide) and blogs—e.g., Int’l Envtl. Law Blog ABA International Lawyer (Year-in-Review) and Env’t, Energy & Resources Law The Year-in-Review Int’l yearbooks, e.g., Yearbook of European Environmental Law & Yearbook of Int’l Environmental Law

BNA Int’l Environment Reporter

Greenwire

IEL: Secondary Sources Books on IEL topics Lawpac and Chinook, Prospector, FirstSearch WorldCat catalogs Periodical articles on IEL topics LAWPACLAWPAC: LegalTrac, ILP, HeinOnline, Academic Search Premier (published); SSRN & bePress (preprint) Chinook E-ResourcesChinook E-Resources: Environmental Issues subject guide (PAIS Int’l, Engineering Village 2, EnviroNetBase)

Chinook: E-Resources

Chinook E-Resources: Environmental Issues Subject Guide

PAIS International

Primary Sources of International Law: Art. 38(1) of the ICJ Statute International conventions [treaties] International custom, as evidence of a general practice accepted as law General principles of law recognized by civilized nations Judicial decisions and teachings of the most highly qualified publicists of the various nations (as a subsidiary source)

Research Strategy for IEL Find TREATIES Determine what treaties exist in IEL Locate the authoritative text of and citation to a treaty Determine if the treaty is in force and with what parties and reservations Interpret the treaty by consulting drafting/legislative history, judicial interpretations, and implementing legislation and regulations

Research Strategy for IEL (cont.) Find CUSTOMARY LAW National legislation Diplomatic notes and correspondence Statements/votes by gov’ts in int’l forums Ratification of treaties with obligations Opinions of legal advisers Restatements of law by scholars & jurists

Research Strategy for EIL (cont.) Find Subsidiary Means: Judicial decisions ICJ (World Court) judgments & advisory opinions Judicial or arbitral tribunals, some are created by treaties, e.g., Int’l Tribunal for the Law of the Sea Scholarly writings Legal texts adopted by scientific & professional associations, e.g., Int’l Law Commission

Research Strategy for IEL (cont.) Find new sources of Law (“Soft Law”) Resolutions Recommendations Codes of practice Guidelines Statements Declarations of principles

Treaties: Process and Terminology Adoption: negotiate and agree on text Signature: representatives of participating nations sign or initial treaty Entry into Force: beginning of the period of the binding effect of a treaty; treaty may provide for a fixed date, or the deposit of a specified number of ratifications, before it becomes effective Ratification/Acceptance/Approval: consent of signatories to be bound by the treaty (incl. int’l & domestic procedures) Accession: consent of non-signatory nations to be bound by the treaty

TREATIES How to identify EXISTING IEL TREATIES Guruswamy, Int’l Environmental Law in a Nutshell (3 rd ed. 2007) “table of treaties” Documents compilations, e.g., Sands & Galizzi, Documents in Int’l Environmental Law (2d ed. 2004) International Protection of the Environment series (ICEL, qtrly updates) and Int’l Envtl. Law: Multilateral Treaties (3x/yr. updates)—print sources EISIL: Electronic Information System for Int’l Law (Basic Sources) – ECOLEX: A Gateway to Environmental Law – ENTRI: Envt’l Treaties & Resource Indicators EESI: International Energy Treaties - Treaty Resources by Topic (BU Law Library) - _subjects.html _subjects.html

Treaties: Locating Authoritative Text Multilateral treaties United Nations Treaty Collection - (Go to Reference Desk for access) Older indexes: World Treaty Index; Multilateral Treaties: Index and Current Status Treaty Secretariat web sites - EISIL (most IEL treaties) – or UNEP Convention Secretariats (UNEP treaties) U.S. treaties United States Treaties (UST) and TIAS series, (print, HeinOnline, WL, L/N); older treaties in U.S. Statutes at Large and Bevans ( ) compilation KAV Agreements (unofficial; HeinOnline, microfiche); Current Treaty Index also provides access to these Thomas (Senate treaty documents, 1975-; links to GPO texts) – Recent U.S. and non-U.S. treaties International Legal Materials (unofficial; HeinOnline, WL, L/N)

Treaties: Locating Authoritative Text Treaty Secretariat web sites Use EISIL web site to get links and citations to official text – UNEP Convention Secretariats – ual/Default.asp?DocumentID=43&ArticleID =234&l=en ual/Default.asp?DocumentID=43&ArticleID =234&l=en

Treaties: Locating Authoritative Text United States treaties Article II Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution gives the president the power "by and with the advice and consent of the Senate to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur." Article VI states that the Constitution and "the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land." United States Treaties (UST) and TIAS series, (print, HeinOnline, WL, L/N); Older treaties published in U.S. Statutes at Large and Bevans ( ) compilation. Access also via Kavass, US Treaty Index: consolidation (print). KAV Agreements (unofficial; HeinOnline, microfiche); Current Treaty Index also provides access to these

Link to Full Text

Treaties: Locating Authoritative Text How to Find the official TEXT of treaties from regional organizations: EISIL: Electronic Info System for IEL – (regional orgs. page) Council of Europe (COE) European Union (EU) –

Citing to Treaties Check citation in EISIL database – if available (“more info” link) A Uniform System of Citation (Bluebook), rule (on reserve in the Law Library) If U.S. is a party to a multilateral treaty: For U.S., cite to U.S.T., Stat., T.I.A.S., etc. Treaty name, date, [vol.] U.S.T. [p.], [vol.] U.N.T.S. [p.]

Treaties: Status (Multilateral) How to determine if a treaty is IN FORCE and with what PARTIES and RESERVATIONS: multilateral treaties UN Treaty Collection: Status of Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General (500+ major treaties; go to Reference Desk for access) – Treaty Secretariat web sites ECOLEX Treaty Status Tables – If UN treaty, call UN Office of Legal Affairs, Treaty Section (NY) , or - If US is the depositary for a multilateral treaty: U.S. State Dept. web site,

Status of Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Sec’y-General

Treaties: Status (US) How to determine if a treaty is IN FORCE and with what PARTIES and RESERVATIONS: US treaties Treaties in Force (State Dept., Jan. 1, 2007) - or A Guide to the United States Treaties in Force (both print, HeinOnline) updated by State Dept.’s Treaty Actions (January, 2007) – updated by State Dept.’s Treaties Pending in the Senate (Sept. 4, 2007) - and Senate Treaty Page - _with_teasers/treaties.htmhttp:// _with_teasers/treaties.htm Call Office of the Legal Adviser for Treaty Affairs, U.S. Dept. of State, or

Treaties in Force as of Jan. 1, 2007

Treaties: Interpretation Drafting History: “travaux preparatoires” - ux_Preparatoires.htm (Jonathan Pratter) ux_Preparatoires.htm Legislative History (U.S.) Thomas (treaty docs: texts & history) – Judicial interpretations (Shepard’s United States Citations in print), and implementing legislation and regulations

CUSTOMARY INT’L LAW Find US nat’l legislation, diplomatic documents, opinions of legal advisers, etc. U.S. Dept. of State, Office of the Legal Adviser Digest of United States Practice in International Law (Law Library) updated by American Journal of International Law section on “contemporary practice of the US relating to int’l law” U.S. statutes and administrative materials - Envtl. L. Rptr. (ELI) THOMAS (fed. legislation) – USA.gov (agency portal) –

American Journal of International Law

CUSTOMARY INT’L LAW (cont.) Find Non-US national legislation, diplomatic documents, opinions of legal advisers, etc. ECOLEX: Nat’l Legislation – Int’l Encyclopedia of Laws: Envtl. Law (cites & summaries) Foreign Law: Current Sources of Codes (cites) Westlaw’s ENFLEX-INT database (envtl. health & safety) Country yearbooks (Hein Online’s Foreign/Int’l Database) and Yearbook of IEL (Lawpac) Int’l Protection of the Environment series (Lawpac) Library of Congress – Guide to Law Online: Nations of the World Global Legal Information Network (GLIN) (cites & summaries) World Law Guide (Lexadin) - See Jane for additional sources

CUSTOMARY INT’L LAW (cont.) Find Statements & Votes by Gov’ts in Int’l Organizations and Forums UN Official Documents System, (Go to Reference Desk for access) Access UN (1944-) index via Lawpac (full-text documents available in CU Gov’t Pubs Library) - m m International organization web sites

DECISIONS Find INT’L COURT OF JUSTICE judgments and advisory opinions ICJ web site (1947-) – On Westlaw; Law Library has hardcopy opinions Find OTHER tribunal decisions Int’l Legal Materials (HeinOnline, LN, WL) Int’l Envtl. Law Reports—nat’l & int’l (Law Library) LexisNexis, Westlaw, Internet: e.g. EU’s EUR-Lex ECOLEX: Court Decisions and tribunal web sites

Scholarly Writings Int’l Law Commission Web site - Yearbook of the ILC (Law Library) UN Official Documents System, (Go to Reference Desk for access) Int’l Law Association - hq.org/ hq.org/

IEL “SOFT LAW” Burhenne, Int’l Environmental Soft Law: Collection of Relevant Instruments (Law Library) ECOLEX (Lit) – EISIL: Electronic Info System for Int’l Law – Int’l Legal Materials (HeinOnline, WL & L/N) Yearbook of International Environmental Law International organization web sites