Fear and Loathing in Jus Cogens

Abstract

Today's most eggregious human rights violations - torture and terror - are often considered to have entered the category of jus cogens violations. But while their violation is prohibited by all nations, compensation for their wrongs is rarely awarded. Like a Hunter S. Thompson gonzo journalism tract, the law swirls around these norms in rhetorical circles and undermines its own story line with a distracted and barely coherent narrative.

Keywords: jus cogens, torture, terrorism, narrative