This article examines whether states may use force in self-defence against non-state actors operating from the territory of another state. It first maps the prevailing approaches to self-defence in response to non-state armed attacks, focusing on attribution, Article 3(g) of the United Nations General Assembly’s Definition of Aggression, and the ‘unable or unwilling’ doctrine. It argues that these approaches give rise to normative, methodological and practical difficulties and often leave states without an effective right to defend themselves. The article then goes on to explain the morphology of the right of self-defence. It contends that self-defence is a primary rule of international law permitting the use of force in response to an armed attack as a factual occurrence, irrespective of its perpetrator. It further argues that self-defence is neither an exception to Article 2(4), nor a legal sanction. On this basis, the right of self-defence extends to armed attacks by non-state actors, even when they operate from within the territory of another state. In such cases, self-defence as a circumstance precluding wrongfulness excuses the responsibility of the defending state for incidental violations of the territorial state’s sovereignty in the course of defensive action.

This conversation began as a roundtable at the 2023 joint meeting of the American Anthropological Association and the Canadian Anthropology Society in Toronto. The roundtable was part of the Executive Program and was intended as a follow-up to Kisha Supernant’s keynote presentation, which was entitled ‘Truth before transition. Reimagining anthropology as restorative justice.’ Considering the sensitive nature of the topic, we responded to a selection of written questions from the audience rather than taking open questions. The discussion was webcast, then transcribed and redacted. This article includes a portion of the question period as well as a contextual introduction that was not part of the initial conversation.

We study how competition impacts security-bid auctions by comparing Monopolistic and Competitive auctions. Sellers choose their security designs between debt and equity, and buyers select auctions based on sellers’ choices. We find that an auction’s security design has limited influence on revenue under monopoly, whereas equity substantially increases revenue under competition due to equity attracting more bidders. Despite this, sellers’ rate of choosing equity does not differ between the treatments. While theory suggests that security choice when acting as a buyer should be negatively correlated to one’s choice as a seller, we find the empirical correlation to be positive.

Cinco do Oriente is Timor-Leste’s most famous band. It was active for a relatively short period (1972 to 1975) and mainly performed songs made famous by Western groups. Yet Cinco do Oriente is praised today as a pioneer of the local music scene. The band was definitely popular, but it was not the only one performing at the time, and it was not the first. It is argued here that Cinco do Oriente has become a legend, not because of its music, but as a symbol of the resistance movement against Indonesia. This is because three of its members are believed to have been killed by the Indonesian military due to alleged revolutionary activities. This is discussed referencing various popular culture theorists. The article also examines the development of other bands of the era, Portuguese and Indonesian cultural missions in Timor, the Indonesian invasion and occupation, and other matters.

In the recent history of private law theory, the task of restoring interpersonal justice to a position of chief importance has been undertaken by those who draw from the wellsprings of Kantian philosophy. But in defining the domain of interpersonal justice, Kantians have also narrowly confined it. In this article I offer a post-Kantian approach, taking reference from a method well established in political and moral philosophy, but yet to make a comprehensive impact on private law: contractualism. Contractualism anchors what we owe each other in the notion of interpersonal justification, offering a fresh understanding of persons, nexuses and relational reasoning. I show how this approach tackles key questions in private law – its institutions of empowerment, primary entitlements, remedial norms and practices, and the division of labour between public and private spheres – in a manner preferable to Kantian theory.

Sri Lanka’s Indigenous Vedda community, also known as Vanniyalaththo, has profound relationships with nature that are not recognized by the country’s colonial history and, subsequently, its Western-influenced legal framework. This article explores how the gap between relational Vedda laws and state-based law in Sri Lanka can be bridged. It suggests that the emerging paradigms of legal personhood and Rights of Nature, which acknowledge the more-than-instrumental values of nature, can serve as a starting point for bridging this gap. By exploring the relational ontologies of Vedda law, this article advocates broader recognition of Vedda worldviews within the existing state-based law in Sri Lanka and highlights the role of Indigenous communities as non-state actors in shaping more-than-human governance.

This article discusses the rise in the use of Gen artificial intelligence (Gen AI) for the production of mandatory corporate reporting, particularly narrative and ESG (Environmental, Social or Governance) reports. The capabilities of Gen AI can potentially deliver many benefits, but firms are exposed to legal and regulatory risks in connection with Gen AI adoption. This article discusses how firms may address these risks, but more importantly, these risks should not be appreciated only at the firm-level but at a broader industry, market and systemic level. When viewed through the lens of the reporting chain, which is the universe of recipient entities that use such corporate reporting, including numerous financial intermediary entities, regulators and finfluencers, these risks take on new implications that require regulatory and supervisory efforts for their oversight and mitigation. The article makes specific proposals for securities and financial regulators in particular, against a broader context of the more general, cross-cutting nature of AI systems regulation and governance.

Les recherches récentes montrent que les femmes en politique sont particulièrement exposées à l’hostilité en ligne. Lors des élections provinciales de 2022 au Québec, plusieurs politiciennes ont été victimes de menaces et d’abus en ligne et des cas similaires ont été observés à travers le Canada. Face à cette prévalence, cet article propose un cadre théorique féministe, s’appuyant sur les travaux de Nancy Fraser et le féminisme intersectionnel, dans le but de mieux comprendre les diverses formes de cyberviolence subies par les politiciennes et leurs effets sur leur participation politique. En combinant justice sociale et oppressions croisées, l’article offre une analyse des dynamiques de pouvoir et souligne l’importance de contrer ces violences pour préserver la démocratie et les droits fondamentaux des femmes.