International Legal News - 09 February 2026
- Ned Vucijak
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
The following media round up on international and foreign policy issues from around the world for the period of 2 February to 6 February 2026. Guernica 37 will provide weekly media updates from the International Criminal Court, European Court of Human Rights, United Nations, European Union and other sources. Should you wish to contribute or submit a media summary, opinion piece or blog, please
send to Ned Vucijak at nenadv@guernica37.com for consideration.
6 February 2026
Diplomatic Law: Canada and France to open consulates in Greenland
It has been reported that both Canada and France will open diplomatic consulates in Greenland. The move has been viewed as a show of support for Denmark as part of NATO, following the US’s efforts to secure control over the island.
Previous consulates opened in Nuuk, are that of Iceland in 2013, and the United States, itself, which originally had a consulate from 1940 -1953, reopened in 2020.
The question of Greenland’s sovereignty was last in contention - and resolved - in the Eastern Greenland Case in 1933, where the Permanent Court of International Justice (1922-1946), held that the Ihlen Declaration could bind Norway against its claim to part of the island.
For more on this story, see here.
5 February 2026
International Arbitration: Guidance on S.68 Challenges in the English Courts
A case note examines the recent case of Seacrest Group Ltd (in provisional liquidation) v BCPR Pte Ltd & Another [2025] EWHC 3266 (Comm).
A party to an English-law governed Investment Agreement sought to raise a new argument in their closing submissions in the absence of an application to amend their pleaded case earlier in the proceedings. After the Award failed to make findings on that point, the party challenged the Award in England under S.68 of the Arbitration Act 1996.
In the case cited above, Mr Justice Trower has considered and issued guidance that will be helpful to arbitration and enforcement practitioners on what the Courts say are the requirements for a successful S.68 challenge to an arbitral award.
To read the full case note, see here.
To read the judgment, see here.
4 February 2026
Judicial Speeches: Master of the Rolls: “Justice for all, justice for the accused”
On the 4 February 2026, Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Roles, delivered a speech at the Old Bailey as part of the Justice for All series of events. In it, Sir Geoffrey discusses some of the challenges which the Courts and justice systems face, how these might be addressed moving forward, and what Artificial Intelligence might be able to offer in the provision of justice outcomes.
To reach the Master of the Rolls’s address, see here.
3 February 2026
Blog Corner: “The high bar to the principle of legality”
Practitioners and academics with a focus on public law and immigration may benefit from a post published by Lewis Graham on Administrative Court Blog. He considers the recent case of R (Tasib) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWHC 139 (Admin) (28 January 2026) where Mr Justice Farbey had the opportunity to consider the contours of the principle of legality in the context of immigration law.
To read this blogpost, see here.
To read the judgment, see here.
2 February 2026
Humanitarian Law: Access blocked by South Sudan
The organisation Doctors without Borders (“MSF”) has denounced the blocking of humanitarian access to opposition-held areas by the government of South Sudan due to fears that it will cause harm to children, pregnancy women, and patients with chronic conditions.
Abdalla Hussein, the MSF programme manager for South Sudan has said that patients will die if the blockade continues.
“Preventing people from accessing health care is a crude political [manoeuvre],” he said. “Ultimately, it is the civilians who pay the price. This must stop immediately.”
Although the conflict is contained to South Sudan, International Humanitarian Law remains applicable. Customary rules require all parties to an armed conflict to only take proportionate actions in respect to military objectives and must take precautionary measures to avoid civilian damage.
For more on this story, see here.