The Syrian Conflict's Impact on International Law

Written as the decade-long Syria conflict nears an end, this is the first book-length treatment of how the Syrian war has changed international law. In The Syrian Conflict's Impact on International Law, the authors explain the history of the current conflict in Syria and discuss the principles and process of customary international law formation and the phenomenon of accelerated formation of customary international law known as Grotian Moments. They then explore specific examples, including how use of force against ISIS in Syria has changed the law of self-defense against non-state actors, how the allied airstrikes in response to Syria's use of chemical weapons have changed the law of humanitarian intervention, and others. This book seeks to contribute both to understanding the concept of accelerated formation of customary international law and the specific ways the Syria conflict has led to development of new norms and principles in several areas of international law.

1. Introduction; 2. Historical Background; 3. Accelerated Formation of Customary International Law; 4. Use of Force in Self-Defense against Non-State Actors; 5. Humanitarian Intervention in Response to Use of Chemical Weapons; 6. Transformation of Accountability Paradigms; 7. The Syrian Migration Crisis; 8. International Law and the Syrian Peace Process; 9. Conclusion; Appendix; Index.

Michael P. Scharf is the Dean of the Law School and the Joseph C. Hostetler-BakerHostetler Professor of Law at Case Western Reserve University. He serves as Managing Director of the Public International Law and Policy Group, a Nobel Peace Prize-nominated NGO. He has led USAID-funded transitional justice projects in Uganda, Cote d'Ivoire, Libya, and Turkey (for Syria), and maritime piracy projects in Kenya, Mauritius, and The Seychelles. Scharf is the author of over 100 scholarly articles and nineteen books, four of which have won national book of the year honors. Since 2013, Scharf has been the producer and host of 'Talking Foreign Policy', a radio program broadcast on WCPN 90.3 FM and other NPR affiliates across the country.
Milena Sterio is the Charles R. Emrick Jr. – Calfee Halter & Griswold Professor of Law at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Previously, she was an associate in the New York City firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen and Hamilton and an Adjunct Law Professor at Cornell, where she taught in the International War Crimes Clinic. She has published numerous law review articles and six books. Professor Sterio is an editor of the prestigious IntLawGrrls blog. In the spring 2013, Professor Sterio was a Fulbright Scholar in Baku, Azerbaijan, at Baku State University.
Paul R. Williams holds the Rebecca I. Grazier Professorship in Law and International Relations at American University where he teaches in the School of International Service and at the Washington College of Law. Dr. Williams is also the co-founder of the Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG), a pro bono law firm providing legal assistance to states and governments involved in peace negotiations, post-conflict constitution drafting, and the prosecution of war criminals. As a world renowned peace negotiation lawyer, Dr Williams has assisted over two dozen parties in major international peace negotiations and has advised numerous parties on the drafting and implementation of post-