Abstract
Despite their seeming impotency, non-self-executing treaties play an important role in domestic jurisprudence. When a statute permits more than one construction, judges have a number of interpretive tools at their disposal. One of these is the Charming Betsy canon, which encourages judges to select an interpretation of an ambiguous statute that accords with U.S. international obligations -including those expressed in non-self-executing treaties. This Note concludes that the judicial practice of giving indirect force to all treaties through the Charming Betsy canon is both justified and beneficial.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2011
Recommended Citation
Rebecca Crootof, Judicious Influence: Non-Self-Executing Treaties and the Charming Betsy Canon, 120 Yale L.J. 1784 (2011).