Stephen J. Toope is professor emeritus of international law at the University of British Columbia and University of Cambridge, and an associate member of L’Institut de Droit International. Do we simply accept, for instance, that international law will be discarded when it hinders the unilateral use of force? Is the international law governing the use of force nothing but mere “niceties”? Even for the hegemon, adherence to international law can lower the costs of intervention. For countries like Canada, then, operating within and defending international law represents an important security strategy, too.

Source: International New York Times March 21, 2026 12:20 UTC