International Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Law - Essay Example However, recent developments have spurred a rising public outcry in the international community against dictators who abuse their powers in their home countries and are responsible for countless atrocities against innocent civilians. In the words of East Timorese Nobel Laureate, Jose Ramos Horta, â€Å"in this day and age you cannot kill hundreds of people and then just get fired.†3 This is precisely the issue that arises in the case of both Mr. Jojo and Mrs. Lulu. Since Mr. Jojo had been in power for 15 years continuously, it is more than likely that allegations of abuse of power are not likely to be unfounded. Since he had made systematic and institutionalized use of torture, this indicates that he had made use of Government machinery to encroach upon the fundamental rights of the citizens of Chacha to freedom from abuse of their privacy and freedom. For example, while the UN Charter respects national sovereignty4 it also includes the provision that force is to be used only in self defense5 and the advancement of Human Rights as spelt out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must not be violated. Therefore the issue that arises in this case is the flagrant violation of the human rights of the citizens of Chacha through the instruments of torture employed by Mr Jojo while he was in power. The role of the international Courts was initially confined to enforcing national sovereignty, however the increasing importance accorded to human rights has resulted in a change in the role of the Courts. In one of the most significant recent rulings of the International Criminal tribunal for Yugoslavia, the Appeals Chamber held that the "State-sovereignty-oriented approach" that restricted interference in internal conflicts "has been gradually supplanted by a human-being-oriented approach" in recent international law6. This was the basis upon