Drones and the International Rule of Law
Journal of Ethics and International Affairs, Vol. 28, pp. 83-103, 2014
22 Pages Posted: 6 Oct 2013 Last revised: 28 Feb 2015
Date Written: 2014
Abstract
This essay will proceed in four parts. First, it will briefly discuss the concept of the international rule of law. Second, it will offer a short factual background on US drone strikes (to the extent that it is possible to provide factual background on a practice so shrouded in secrecy). Third, it will highlight some of the key ways in which post 9/11 US legal theories relating to the use of force challenge previously accepted concepts and seek to redefine previously well-understood terms. Fourth, it will offer brief concluding thoughts on the future of the international rule of law in light of this challenge.
Keywords: international rule of law, drones, post 9/11 legal theory, rule of law, national security, legal theory, international law
JEL Classification: K00, K30, K33, K39
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation