The Transition from Absolute to Restrictive State Immunity: A Comparative Study of Scandinavia and the Middle East through the Lens of International Law Developments

Document Type : Academicm and Research

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Law, Torbat-e Heidarieh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Law, University of Bojnourd, Bojnourd, Iran.

3 Master’s Student, Department of International Law, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Recent developments in public international law have precipitated a fundamental redefinition of the doctrine of state immunity and a decisive shift from the traditional paradigm of absolute immunity towards the modern doctrine of restrictive immunity. This study undertakes a comparative analysis of this transition in four Scandinavian countries - Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland - and three Middle Eastern countries - Iran, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates. The particular significance of this inquiry resides in the remarkable diversity of the legal systems under examination: the Scandinavian countries operate within civil law traditions possessing the distinctive characteristics of Nordic legal culture; Iran possesses a mixed legal system incorporating elements of both Islamic law and the civil law tradition; Türkiye has adopted the European civil law model; and the United Arab Emirates features a dual legal system, influenced by Sharia law, which applies civil law alongside common law in its financial free zones. Employing a descriptive-analytical methodology and drawing upon an extensive review of international legal instruments, domestic legislation, and the published case law of the national courts concerned, the study identifies and analyses the principal factors driving this transition, including the expansion of international commercial relations, the normative influence of international conventions, most notably the United Nations Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and Their Property of 2004, the pressures of globalization, and domestic legislative and judicial reforms. The findings demonstrate that, notwithstanding the considerable structural, cultural, and political differences among the countries examined, all are progressing towards the adoption of restrictive immunity, albeit at differing rates and through distinct institutional mechanisms: the Scandinavian countries have advanced more rapidly through dynamic judicial practice and progressive statutory reform, whereas the Middle Eastern countries have proceeded more gradually, primarily through discrete legislative developments. The study concludes with an array of recommendations for the Iranian legal system, including the enactment of comprehensive legislation on state immunity that clearly delineates sovereign from commercial acts, the development of consistent judicial practice, and active participation in international fora addressing issues of state immunity, in order to align domestic law more closely with contemporary developments in public international law.

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References

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