State Responsibility — Elements — KSLU Pil Notes
State Responsibility — Elements
ILC Articles on State Responsibility (2001): A State commits an internationally wrongful act when conduct (1) is attributable to the State and (2) constitutes a breach of an international obligation.
flowchart TD
IWA[Internationally Wrongful Act] --> ATT{Attributable to State?}
ATT -- Yes --> BREACH{Breach of IL obligation?}
ATT -- No --> NOSR[No State Responsibility]
BREACH -- Yes --> SR[State Responsibility Arises]
BREACH -- No --> NOSR
SR --> CONSEQUENCES[Legal Consequences]
CONSEQUENCES --> CESS[Cessation - stop the wrongful act]
CONSEQUENCES --> REP[Reparation]
REP --> REST[Restitution - restore original position]
REP --> COMP[Compensation - monetary damages]
REP --> SAT[Satisfaction - apology, acknowledgment]Landmark Cases on State Responsibility
| Case | Court | Holding |
|---|---|---|
| Chorzów Factory (PCIJ, 1928) | PCIJ | “Reparation must wipe out all consequences of the illegal act” — foundational rule on compensation |
| Corfu Channel (ICJ, 1949) | ICJ | Albania responsible for mines in its waters that damaged UK ships — duty to warn of known dangers |
| Tehran Hostages (ICJ, 1980) | ICJ | Iran responsible for private actors (students) once State endorsed their conduct |
| Nicaragua (ICJ, 1986) | ICJ | USA responsible for mining Nicaragua’s harbours and supporting Contra rebels |