Are Corporations 'Subjects' of International Law?

Santa Clara Journal of International Law, Forthcoming

NYU School of Law, Public Law Research Paper No. 10-77

54 Pages Posted: 6 Nov 2010

See all articles by José E. Alvarez

José E. Alvarez

New York University School of Law

Date Written: November 5, 2010

Abstract

Courts and scholars often attempt to draw legal conclusions from the status of entities, whether states, international organizations or corporations. Debates concerning whether corporations are “subjects” of international law and the legal conclusions that supposedly follow from this are particularly vociferous within Alien Tort Claims litigation in U.S. courts. Using the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Citizens United as a cautionary tale, the author argues that drawing legal conclusions from the fact of “subject-hood” is fraught with peril, particularly in the case of corporations. He argues that such top-down approaches are likely to lead to unintended consequences and that corporations, like international organizations, should more properly be seen as “participants” than “subjects.”

Suggested Citation

Alvarez, José Enrique, Are Corporations 'Subjects' of International Law? (November 5, 2010). Santa Clara Journal of International Law, Forthcoming, NYU School of Law, Public Law Research Paper No. 10-77, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1703465

José Enrique Alvarez (Contact Author)

New York University School of Law ( email )

40 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012-1099
United States

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