Supremacy of the State in International Law: The Act of State Doctrine

by James Biser Whisker

The act of state Doctrine generally holds that the activities of the government of a sovereign nation are not adjudicable by the U.S. Courts. Certain important exceptions have, over time, been delineated. This text examines the evolution of the doctrine, first discussing the situation inherited from English common law and early American cases that dealt with act of state. The majority of the book deals with relatively rapid Supreme Court expansion of exceptions since the 1963 hearing of Banco Nacional de Cuba v. Sabbatino . Major topics include the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, the Alien Tort Claims Act, crimes against humanity, presidential control over foreign policy, and expropriation of property. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

273 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2003

About the author

He publishes also as:
James B. Whisker and
James Biser Whisker Sr.