Assistant Professor @TCDLawSchool. Previously International Court of Justice (@CIJ_ICJ). @YaleLawSch, @ENS_ULM, @AmherstCollege. mikebecker.bsky.social
Ireland
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I joined @dwnews immediately after the #ICJ handed down it's 13-2 decision in #SouthAfrica v #Israel today to provide some instant reaction. dw.com/en/icj-orders-stop-to…
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Mike Becker retweeted
The Gambia v. Myanmar case will be decided by 16 ICJ judges (15 elected ones - 1 as Judge Okowa has recused herself due to her past involvement in the case +2 ad hoc judges). A judgment - which cannot modify the definition of genocide but can only interpret and apply it, following the rules of treaty interpretation - will have to be supported by at least 8 of them (in which case including casting vote of the President). Moreover, as you are undoubtedly also aware, ICJ judges must fulfill the criteria of being independent, "persons of high moral character", with necessary legal qualifications, and "of recognized competence in international law" (Art. 2 ICJ Statute).
It thus takes quite a conspiracy theorist to argue, as you do, that Judge "Pillay and her supporters are poised to hijack the Myanmar case to drastically reinterpret the genocide standard so as to retroactively justify her claim that Israel committed genocide" and think that, in that conspiracy scenario, they could so succeed. To suggest that at least 8 (including the President) or 9 ICJ judges or would adopt a judgment based on ulterior motives is just wild. Any of the judges who share Judge Pillay's - a renowned and respected expert - position(s) regarding the interpretation of the Convention's defintion and its application, whichever specific positions those may be, must have adopted those based on substantive legal considerations.
Critics of Amb. Waltz's warning about the ICJ's impending Myanmar genocide decision are conflating two different issues. As explained in my below Wall Str. J. oped, the concern expressed by @USAmbUn is not that the ICJ will determine Myanmar committed genocide (which Myanmar has clearly committed under the current definition). The concern is that Pillay and her supporters are poised to hijack the Myanmar case to drastically reinterpret the genocide standard so as to retroactively justify her claim that Israel committed genocide, even though Israel's conduct doesn't meet the current definition. That isn't justice -- it's an abuse of the ICJ. wsj.com/opinion/the-icjs-per…
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Spoken like the malevolent hack you are.
ICJ ad hoc "judge" Navi Pillay is tipping the scales on the ICJ’s current proceedings on Myanmar, intending to lower the legal threshold for proving genocide so that weakened and false standard can later be weaponized against American and allied soldiers whenever they raise a finger against terrorists that hide behind civilians. Pillay: We see your agenda and we'll be watching the ICJ’s handling of these proceedings very closely. As our actions against the ICC demonstrate, we will not allow globalist, faux-judges to weaponize the law against our troops, undermine our sovereignty, or put American lives at risk.
The Nobel Committee has disgraced itself by awarding the Peace Prize to Pillay. What a shameful choice to "honor" someone who represents an "international community" with a leftist, globalist, antisemitic agenda.
President Trump is showing a better way, by actually ENDING WARS, bringing hostages HOME, and making PEACE.
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Glad to contribute to this @MiddleEastEye piece about The Gambia v Myanmar at the ICJ. How the ICJ deals with genocidal intent and UN fact-finding reports in its judgment will matter a great deal not only for the Rohingya, but for other big cases on the ICJ's docket, as well.
What is the Rohingya genocide case at the @CIJ_ICJ and why does it matter? In this long piece for @MiddEastEye , I tried to explain what prompted the case, its key legal questions and what the victims demand. A judgment is expected next month.
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Glad to speak with @SondosAsem1 about The Gambia v Myanmar case at the ICJ, where a judgment is expected soon. How the ICJ deals with genocidal intent and reliance on UN fact-finding reports matters a great deal not only for the Rohingya but for other cases on the ICJ's docket.
Full report below ⬇️ Grateful for comments from @AntoniaMulvey and @mabecker17 middleeasteye.net/big-story/…
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This is disgraceful. An utter betrayal of Ukraine, US allies, and the US military. President Trump is a coward and a fool.
Whatever remains of the Republican Party, how can you stand for this idiocy?
Today, at President Trump’s direction, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is immediately issuing a temporary general license to allow the supply of Russian diesel to the global market.
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Mike Becker retweeted
Misinformation from start to finish
justsecurity.org/147437/inte…
Today, the Trump Administration is sanctioning the ICC.
This action should encourage our Allies within the Court to work for solutions to end this threat to U.S. sovereignty forever.
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Today's news—the plan to livestream the execution by firing squad of the Ft Hood shooter, the far-reaching sanctions against the ICC based on wildly inaccurate claims—demonstrates yet again how far the United States has fallen under the malevolent incompetence of Trumpism. #MAGA
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It was a privilege to take part in a @TriCONDublin seminar yesterday on "Peace, Justice, and Accountability in Ukraine" with Professors Svitlana Khyliuk and Olha Denkovych from Ukrainian Catholic University (alongside my colleague @dkennytcd).
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The seminar examined the idea of victory as a process, the potential contribution of new mechanisms like the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression and the Register of Damage to achieving justice, and the importance of continuing to build a democratic Ukraine.
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I am very grateful to our guests for sharing their insights and experience with us this week at @tcddublin.
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The Irish Government has completely failed to provide adequate explanations on these #Gaza visa refusals, decisions which indeed seem 'irrational' (in addition to being cruel). irishtimes.com/crime-law/cou…
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Starting at 1 pm (GMT) today, please join the ESIL Interest Group on International Courts and Tribunals for a discussion of Dana Burchardt's recent book: 'The Authority of International Courts: A Behavioural Framework'. Register here: events.teams.microsoft.com/e…
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Mike Becker retweeted
My rogue government announces sanctions on the President of the International Criminal Court, and on a judicial nominee.
This is deranged behavior by a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
@MofaJapan_en @diplomatieSN
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Mike Becker retweeted
Call for Submissions: Irish Yearbook of International Law dlvr.it/TTc5Cd
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Call for Papers: The Irish Yearbook of International Law
The Editors of The Irish Yearbook of International Law invite submissions on any area of international law for publication as an article in the next volume. For more information: tcd.ie/law/news--events/2026…
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Mike Becker retweeted
To an extent. 🇷🇼 did remove its Genocide Convention and CERD reservations and acceded to CAT in 2008. Does raise similar issues as Lithuania v. Belarus on the relationship between removal of compromissory clause reservation and jurisdiction ratione temporis.
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New #ICJ case: DRC v Rwanda alleging violations of the Genocide Convention, CERD, CEDAW, and CAT. We've been down this road before; the ICJ dismissed another DRC v Rwanda case back in 2006 for lack of jurisdiction. Have those problems now been overcome?
PRESS RELEASE: The #DRC today filed an Application instituting proceedings against #Rwanda before the #ICJ with regard to a dispute concerning “abuses attributable to Rwanda over a period extending from 1996 to the present day”.
Link to the press release: go.icj-cij.org/4alH2hk
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These time limits in SA v ISR depart substantially from the normal time limits for second-round submissions, which are typically around 6 months per side. From 2015-25, the longest amount of time allotted for the reply/rejoinder was 10 months in Iran v US [Treaty of Amity].
(#AfriqueduSud c. #Israël). Elle a fixé au 22 novembre 2027 au 22 mai 2029, respectivement, les dates d’expiration des délais pour le dépôt de ces écritures.
Lien vers l'ordonnance : go.icj-cij.org/4x1Rh4g
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An irony of these very long time limits means that how Israel acts now (and in the month & years ahead) may generate further evidence that South Africa will draw upon to bolster its case that Israel's actions were undertaken with genocidal intent. aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/29…
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I spoke with @AJEnglish this week about the latest developments in #Gaza, which increasingly seem overshadowed by the Iran war and Israel's campaign in Lebanon. aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/29…
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