The Indian Intervention in Goa - 1961
Forthcoming, T. Ruys and O. Corten (eds.), The Use of Force in International Law: a case-based approach (Oxford: Oxford University Press)
12 Pages Posted: 22 Jun 2017
Date Written: June 20, 2017
Abstract
This contribution discusses the 1961 Indian intervention in Goa. It sets out the facts and context of the crisis, the legal positions of the main protagonists (India and Portugal), and the international community’s reactions. It then tests the legality of the Indian intervention against the international legal framework governing the use of force as it stood at the time of the events. The final section examines if, and to what extent, the case has had an impact on the further development of the jus ad bellum, in particular whether it has contributed to an exception to the prohibition on the use of force for the recovery of 'pre-colonial' title.
Keywords: use of force, jus ad bellum, Goa, Portugal, India, aggression
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