Communis Opinio and Jus Cogens: A Critical Review on Pro-Torture Law and Policy Argument

AuthorGary Lilienthal & Nehaluddin Ahmad
Pages379-380
Pro-Torture Law & Policy Argument 379
X JEAIL 2 (2017)
Gary Lilienthal
& Nehaluddin Ahmad
∗∗
The prohibition on torture has attained status as a peremptory norm of general
international law. This gives rise to the obligation erga omnes to take action against
those who torture. Despite this, most world states routinely conduct torture. Is there
really a worldwide prohibition of torture? Argument is framed to demonstrate that
       
in practice unattainable, preventing any absolute and universal international law
prohibition against torture. States cannot declare someone an enemy of all mankind,
or bind all other states to that view. Jus cogens is a text writers municipal communis
opinio, but held administratively to be based in customary international law. Any
prohibition against torture appears to remain in municipal customary law form,
breaches of which are proved as arguments based on fact, eliminating operation of any
absolute peremptory governing norm.
Keywords
Torture, Jus Cogens, Erga Omnes, Enemy of All Mankind, Communis
Opinio, Customary International Law
Professor of Law at School of Law of the University of Gondar, Ethiopia. Dip. Counselling (A.I.P.C.), LL.B./Grad. Dip.
Legal Practice (Sydney), M. Psychoanalytic Studs. (Deakin Univ., Australia), Ph.D. (Curtin Univ., Australia). ORCID:
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1875-0294. The author may be contacted at: carringtonrand@icloud.com/ Address: School of
Law, University of Gondar, P.O. Box 196, Gondar, Ethiopia.
∗∗ Professor, Department of Law, Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University (UNISSA), Brunei Darussalam. MA/LL.B./LL.M.
(Lucknow Univ., India), LL.M. (Strathclyde Univ., UK), LL.D. (Meerut Univ., India). ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-
0003-1193-2092. The author may be contacted at: ahmadnehal@yahoo.com/ Address: Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic
University (UNISSA), Spg. 347 Jalan Pasar Baharu, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam, BE1310.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14330/jeail.2017.10.2.03
ARTICLES
Communis Opinio and
Jus Cogens: A Critical
Review on Pro-Torture Law
and Policy Argument

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