International Legal News - 29 September 2025
- Ned Vucijak
- Sep 29
- 3 min read
The following media round up on international and foreign policy issues from around the world for the period of 22 September to 26 September 2025. 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.
26 September 2025
Lord Neuberger renders award for the Welsh Government
In 2018, the Welsh Government proposed a ban on onshore petroleum extraction.
It is now reported that an arbitration brought by a family-owned group of oil and gas companies over the devolved Welsh Government, has rendered an award in favour of the Welsh Government.
For more on this story, see here.
25 September 2025
Blog Corner: Arrest Warrants and Functional Immunities
A blog post published on EJIL: Talk! by Maxime Rogier, explores the implications that an Arrest Warrant issued against Salaheddine Selloum, a former Algerian diplomat for their alleged arrest, confinement, abduction and arbitrary detention of an Algerian political opponent in April 2024.
In this piece, Rogier examines to what extent Mr Selloum enjoys immunity, when considering the current work being undertaken by the International Law Commission, and the most recent decision issued by France’s Court de Cassation in July 2025.
To read this piece, see here.
24 September 2025
Investor-backed Microfinance lending targets indigenous land in Cambodia
A 120-page report has been published by Human Rights Watch examines what is reported to amount to predatory lending by microfinance institutions who are aggressively marketing loans to indigenous communities that place land as collateral.
Over-indebtedness among indigenous communities in Cambodia’s northeastern provinces have resulted in “coerced land sales, debt-driven suicides, food insecurity, and loss of access to healthcare and education”. Cambodian microfinance institutions (MFIs) have issued loans through credit officers and loan documents in the Khmer language, which indigenous natives do not understand.
Between February and October 2024, the NGO Human Rights Watch interviewed more than 50 villagers affected by these practices in and near Cambodia’s Ratanakiri province who have described pressure and coercion being used for the issuance of informal loans, or for the selling of land to service debts.
For more on this story, see here.
To read the report, see here.
23 September 2025
ICC bring charges against Duterte
Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court have brought charges against Rodrigo Duterte, former President of the Philippines.
Duterte is accused of perpetrating crimes against humanity, for allegedly orchestrating the murder of thousands during his administration, a hallmark of which, concerned a heavy anti-drugs campaign. It is alleged that Duterte directed the killings from 2011 to 2019, initially when he held public office as mayor of Davao City, conduct which he continued after assuming high office.
Although the filing only addresses 49 specific murders, it is reported that estimates place more than 12,000 drug users and dealers as having been killed during the first 18 months of Duterte’s campaign alone.
Although the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019 following the investigation’s launch, the ICC maintains jurisdiction over crimes which are alleged to have taken place at the material time in which the Philippines was a member state and still answerable to the International Criminal Court.
For more on this story, see here.
22 September 2025
UN Commission finds Russia targets Ukrainian civilians with short-range drones
A UN independent international commission of Ukraine has reported that Russian short-range drones are being utilised against Ukrainian civilians along the Dnipro River. It is reported that ambulances and other emergency services have also been targeted.
Under international law, the principle of distinction requires parties to an armed conflict to distinguish between civilians and combatants. Article 51 of additional protocol I of the Geneva Convention, expressly prohibits indiscriminate attacks, which can constitute a war crime.
For more on this story, see here.
To read the Chair’s independent statement, see here.