The recent passing away of US Supreme Court Justice Scalia has inevitably thrust his – often dissenting – opinions into the limelight. Little attention has been paid, however, to Scalia’s approach to international law in his opinions. It is an easy and understandable temptation to characterize Scalia as an American sovereigntist viscerally opposed to international law influences on Supreme Court judgments and the US legal system at large. The reality of his opinion-writing is more complex, however; some opinions are indeed hostile to international law, while others far less so.
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