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

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…

Read more

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

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…

Read more

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

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,…

Read more