Marc Weller

Marc Weller

About/Bio

Marc Weller is Professor of International Law and International Constitutional Studies in the University of Cambridge. He is the former Director of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law and the Principal Editor of the Oxford Handbook on the Use of Force in International Law.

Recently Published

The UK Supreme Court Reference on a Referendum for Scotland and the Right to Constitutional Self-determination: Part II

December 13, 2022

In a previous post, I introduced the recent decision of the UK Supreme Court that the Scottish parliament lacks the authority to legislate for an independence referendum. This post will focus on the part of the Court’s judgment where it appears to have denied that self-determination applies to Scotland. While it is of course true…

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The UK Supreme Court Reference on a Referendum for Scotland and the Right to Constitutional Self-determination: Part I

December 13, 2022

The UK Supreme Court has ruled—unanimously—that the Scottish parliament lacks the authority to legislate for an independence referendum (para 92). Moreover, in passing the Court also appears to have denied that self-determination applies to Scotland. While it is of course true that Scotland is not a colony in the traditional sense, as the Court noted, the ruling…

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Russia’s Recognition of the ‘Separatist Republics’ in Ukraine was Manifestly Unlawful

March 9, 2022

The rush to judgment can be deceptive. A recent contribution to these pages cautions us against making instant assumptions of fact and law when considering Russia’s recognition as states of parts of Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts within Ukraine as manifestly unlawful. Two questions arise: Do the Oblasts meet the criteria of statehood and, if so,…

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Popular articles by Marc Weller

Secession and Self-determination in Western Europe: The Case of Catalonia

October 18, 2017

This presentation is based in part on the Legal Opinion by an International Commission of Legal Experts addressing the question of Catalonia: The Will of the People and Statehood. The Commission was composed of Professors Marc Weller (UK ), John Dugard (South Africa), Richard Falk (USA) and Ana Stanic (Slovenia). Although the Opinion was commissioned by Esquerra…

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Is the ICJ at Risk of Providing Cover for the Alleged Genocide in Myanmar?

February 11, 2022

The first anniversary of the coup mounted by the Myanmar military was marked by a surprising step. On 1 February 2022, the National Unity Government of the Union of Myanmar (NUG) made a declaration to the International Court of Justice. The government, which mainly consists of those elected representatives not yet captured by the military regime, was created…

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Myanmar: Testing the Democratic Norm in International Law

March 30, 2021

It is official now: history does repeat itself. In 1990, the military regime in Burma, now Myanmar, held elections. To their surprise, the democratic opposition in the shape of the National League of Democracy (NLD) achieved an overwhelming victory. This happened despite the fact that they had taken the precaution of keeping the leader of the NLD, Daw…

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EJIL Self-Determination Arms Control International Court of Justice International Humanitarian Law Security Council Self Defence Ukraine

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