Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2022
Keywords
Bail, International Human Rights Law, Jurisdiction, Principle of Nonintervention, Sexual Assault, Sovereignty
Abstract
Over the last decade, there has been a spate of incidents in Canada and the United States involving Saudi Arabian nationals who, while out on bail for predominantly sexual crimes, were able to abscond from the countries despite having surrendered their passports. Investigation has revealed evidence supporting a reasonable inference that the government of Saudi Arabia has, in fact, assisted its nationals to escape on these occasions. This article makes the case that this kind of conduct amounts not just to unfriendly acts but also to infringements upon the territorial sovereignty of both states and serious breaches of the international law of jurisdiction. It surveys the possible remedies available to both injured states and, in light of the fact that neither state has sought any such remedy, examines possible remedial routes for the victims of the Saudi nationals’ crimes. It remarks upon the utter failure of either Canada or the United States to address these acts, concluding that such wilful neglect both corrodes sovereignty and undermines the will to address sexual crimes.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Robert Currie & Elizabeth Matheson, "State Responsibility for International Bail-Jumping" (2022) 59 Can YB Intl L 104.
Included in
Courts Commons, Criminal Law Commons, Criminal Procedure Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, International Law Commons, Jurisdiction Commons
