I admit it: no matter how many news stories I read, I hadn’t sorted the whole thing out. Some Canadian law students have taken care of that, and on a site with a great title: Law is Cool. Plus, their banner includes Justice wearing sunglasses. That gives our monkey-headed Darwin a run for his money.

Not only do we get a straightforward account of what happened, but a legal analysis and a heated debate in the comments section. Thanks, guys!

Below is a cursory glance at the legality of what recently happened between Russia and Georgia. This analysis does not aim to be conclusive or exhaustive. It is an attempt to give a legal perspective on a matter that seems to be stuck in the court of mass media.

The most important questions are:

• Was there an armed attack against Russia?
• Was the Russian use of force in response necessary?
• Was it proportional?

Go to the article >>

The authors point to Necessity, Proportionality, and the Use of Force by States. It’s the kind of Cambridge book that I love; for every major news event I can always find several books and experts from our catalog that directly address it, and a lot of the discussion that ensues starts with their research.