Can one country try a foreign officer for an accident that happened far out at sea? In this video we explain the S.S. Lotus Case (France v. Turkey, PCIJ 1927), the leading case on international custom and opinio juris, and the famous Lotus principle: a state is free to act unless a rule of international law forbids it.
In this video:
0:00 Can a country try a foreign officer for a high seas collision?
0:08 International custom - the second source (Article 38)
0:35 Facts of the S.S. Lotus Case (1926 collision)
1:00 The Lotus principle
1:05 The dispute: France v. Turkey, Lieutenant Demons
1:39 The Court's reasoning (6-6 split, President's casting vote)
2:13 Mere abstention is not custom
2:20 What France wanted vs. what Turkey argued
2:48 Limits of the Lotus approach
3:01 Article 97 UNCLOS - the modern rule
3:16 A fictional example (not a fact about Lotus)
3:35 Why Lotus still matters
Key takeaways:
- Custom needs a general practice accepted as law (opinio juris).
- Restrictions on states cannot be presumed; the party alleging a restriction must prove the rule.
- Rare prosecutions do not prove a legal duty to abstain.
- Later treaties (like UNCLOS Article 97) can replace the result of an older judgment.
Subject: Public International Law (LL.B.)
Notes: thelaweasy.com
Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice.
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