International Law
Imperial US Extraterritorialism is Abusive, UK Lawyer Says
Posted Jun 17, 2008, 02:20 pm CST
By Martha Neil
Extraterritorialism, or the practice of seeking to enforce a country's laws beyond that country's geographic borders, isn't necessarily bad.
But it is being abused by U.S. authorities seeking to prosecute foreign citizens for, among other conduct, gambling activities that might not be illegal if they were conducted by American citizens on U.S. soil, argues a U.K. lawyer in a detailed article in today's London Times.
"We should not need Adam Smith to remind us that it is in the fairness of everyday commercial dealings between nations that peace and harmony lie," writes attorney Anthony Julius of Mishcon de Reya. "America is in danger of overlooking this truth, when it acts unjustly and overlooks the interests of its allies and friends."
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Posted by Paul - 5 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 11 hours, 24 minutes ago
North Korea has practiced extraterritorialism for decades. The world has been outraged over that. We need to make sure that when we use it, it is used appropriately and not for purposes of torture—which might render it indefensible and outrageous.