Author: Institute of International Legal Studies UP Diliman College of Law

  • MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND COOPERATION IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

    Volume 1

    MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND COOPERATION IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA


    Rommel J. Casis

    DOI:

    The South China Sea (SCS) holds great importance for all states of the world for many reasons, aside from the ecological and economic reasons discussed in this paper. But this paper mainly focuses on the environmental challenges faced by the SCS and the cooperation required from states to resolve these issues. Unfortunately, cooperation is hampered by territorial claims. However, this paper argues that these claims and the conflicts that arise from them do not erase states’ international legal obligations to the marine environment of the SCS.

    READ MORE

  • WHERE WILL THEY GO: CASE STUDY ON THE APPLICATION OF THE NON-REFOULEMENT PRINCIPLE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

    Volume 1

    WHERE WILL THEY GO: CASE STUDY ON THE APPLICATION OF THE NON-REFOULEMENT PRINCIPLE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC


    Justine Kaye O. Solano

    DOI:

    War has ancient origins—and where there is war, there are survivors fleeing for their lives. Fortunately, the right to asylum and refugee protection has existed alongside wars, owing to the perceived moral responsibility of individuals to protect those whose fundamental human rights are threatened or violated. Over the years, states have enacted domestic refugee laws, but the recognition of refugees and asylum seekers as an international concern came only after the First World War. In 1950, after the Second World War, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was founded. It deals with humanitarian, social, and non-political matters. It also supervises the implementation of conventions protecting the rights of refugees and asylum seekers

    READ MORE

  • CASE REPORT: THE PROSECUTOR V. CHARLES GHANKAY TAYLOR: THE TREATMENT OF HEAD OF STATE IMMUNITY UNDER INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW BY THE SPECIAL COURT FOR SIERRA LEONE

    Volume 1

    CASE REPORT: THE PROSECUTOR V. CHARLES GHANKAY TAYLOR: THE TREATMENT OF HEAD OF STATE IMMUNITY UNDER INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW BY THE SPECIAL COURT FOR SIERRA LEONE


    Jamil Sahid Fofanah

    DOI:

    The doctrine of head-of-state immunity, a feature of the Westphalian system of sovereign equality, historically served as an absolute shield for state leaders in the judicial processes of foreign courts. It aimed to promote the smooth operation of international relations based on the principle par in parem non habet imperium, meaning “an equal has no authority over an equal.” However, the twentieth-century mass atrocities during the World Wars triggered a normative shift toward individual accountability for serious international crimes.This shift has created one of the most profound tensions in contemporary international criminal law: the conflict between sovereign

    READ MORE
  • 2026 Edition

    2026 Edition

    Volume I

    2026 Edition

    Published: 2026-09-03

    DOWNLOAD

    We are pleased to announce the publication of the 2026 Edition of the International Legal Studies Journal

    The International Legal Studies Journal (ILSJ) is the successor of The World Bulletin, the former journal of the Institute of International Legal Studies (IILS) and the International Studies Institute of the Philippines (ISIP). Since 1985, The World Bulletin has published articles on international law and international relations relevant to the Philippines. Due to institutional changes, The World Bulletin was discontinued. With the growing interest in scholarship on international law and international relations, IILS decided to revive the publication and rebrand it to fit evolving circumstances; hence, the journal was renamed to ILSJ.

    Yet, the shift represents far more than a superficial name change. The ILSJ is a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary academic journal featuring articles, commentaries, and notes on issues arising at the intersection of international law and other political, socio-economic, and cultural phenomena. It offers views on developments in international law using a variety of approaches, combining conceptual and theoretical treatment of international law issues with practical grounding. It builds on the interdisciplinary and contextual approach initiated by the World Bulletin materials and captures the breadth of international legal studies by contextualizing recent events in international law through a mix of problematizing international law instruments and reviewing new materials on legal issues.

    The 2026 Edition includes the following articles:
    The 2026 Edition includes the following essays:
  • GENERAL CALL FOR PAPERS 2026

    GENERAL CALL FOR PAPERS 2026

    GENERAL CALL FOR PAPERS 2026

    The Institute of International Legal Studies invites academics, law students or graduate students, and practitioners to submit original, unpublished articles, case comments or book reviews focused on international law and international relations to the International Legal Studies Journal (ILSJ).

    The ILSJ is a peer-reviewed publication of the Institute of International Legal Studies (IILS) of the University of the Philippines Law Center.

    See the attached image for specifications as to the topics covered and the submission guidelines.

    Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. For any inquiries, kindly send an email to ilsj_law.upd@up.edu.ph.

  • GENERAL CALL FOR PAPERS

    GENERAL CALL FOR PAPERS

    GENERAL CALL FOR PAPERS

    The Institute of International Legal Studies invites academics, law students or graduate students, and practitioners to submit original, unpublished articles, case comments or book reviews focused on international law and international relations to the International Legal Studies Journal (ILSJ).

    The ILSJ is a peer-reviewed publication of the Institute of International Legal Studies (IILS) of the University of the Philippines Law Center.

    See the attached image for specifications as to the topics covered and the submission guidelines.

    Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. For any inquiries, kindly send an email to ilsj_law.upd@up.edu.ph.