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Vaughan Lowe Quotes

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“The establishment by the UN in 1975 of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People clearly affirmed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination; and the requirements of a permanent population, a territory with reasonably clearly defined borders, an effective government, and independence from other States are at least arguably as well met as they were in the case of some other entities when they were admitted to the UN as States.”

Self DeterminationPalestinian People
Book:International Law: A Very Short Introduction
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“It is not intended that every violation of the law should be prosecuted. There are more important priorities on which to spend public money. It is enough that the law is available to be used when necessary, to try to prevent violations from reaching unacceptable levels in particular communities, and to prevent perpetrators of high-profile offences from escaping with impunity. Indeed, even when criminal charges are brought, it is increasingly common to prescribe some remedial sentence, such as attendance at a ‘speeding awareness’ course, instead of a penalty. International law is no different. There is neither the expectation nor the intention that international law should be enforced on every occasion when it is violated. Many minor violations are willingly tolerated as the products of human frailty, or as not worth pursuing.”

International Law
Book:International Law: A Very Short Introduction
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“One of the clearest principles of contemporary international law is that States are not free to threaten or use military force against each other or to intervene in each other’s affairs. That is one reason why, for example, western States have been ready to take action against terrorist groups in Iraq, where the States act at the invitation of the Iraqi government, but have been very reluctant to take such action in Syria, where there is no such invitation.”

International Law
Book:International Law: A Very Short Introduction
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“Protectionist measures may permit domestic industries to thrive, which under free trade would wither in the face of cheap imports. Imports may be opposed by the government in the public interest--for example because it thinks it imprudent to rely upon foreign suppliers of certain strategic goods such as staple foods, energy, or military equipment, or because it wishes to nurture an infant industry as yet too weak to compete internationally, or because it wishes to preserve traditional industries such as fishing in order to preserve employment and local communities.”

LawPoliticsInternational Law
Author:Vaughan Lowe
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