Examination of the work of the International Court of Justice over the period mentioned shows more frequent use of the Court by a wider range of states; a consistent use of the possibilities of advance acceptence of jurisdiction; and some procedural developments, in particular the establishment of provisional measures as imposing a binding obligation of compliance. Some concern is expressed at a trend toward favouring jurisdiction in doubtful cases. The major problem noted is the Court's excessive workload, and a tentative proposal is advanced for easing this.

This article presents an analysis of the role and content of proportionality under contemporary international humanitarian law governing the means and methods of warfare (jus in bello) and is designed to present a legal analysis of proportionality to help provide a context for state practice. The events of Operation ‘Cast Lead’ and the reactions of the international community may be instrumental in determining the role assigned to proportionality in the context of armed conflicts. A study on jus in bello proportionality with reference to Operation ‘Cast Lead’ offers a contribution to a further development of the concept of proportionality and to resolving some of its controversial issues concerning its role and content in order to improve the current compliance of the principle.

The author selects three capita selecta with regard to the Insolvency Regulation. He claims that the lex concursus governs the question of whether a third party who claims to have purchased a movable unregistered asset or an asset gratuitously from a person who was subjected to an insolvency proceeding is in fact protected. Furthermore, he reaches the conclusion that the Dutch cooling-off period can have effects in other Member States, provided that some conditions are met. Finally, the author comments on the German Graphic case, in which the Court of Justice of the European Communities has ruled that an action based on a reservation of title against the purchaser who is insolvent is an action in the field of civil and commercial law and is not excluded from the scope of the Brussels I Regulation, and that Article 7(1) of the Insolvency Regulation does not alter this conclusion.

In the 2007 Government Memorandum to Parliament entitled Human dignity for all. A human rights strategy for foreign policy, the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maxime Verhagen, examined the interrelationship between human rights, peace and security. In this context, the Minister also addressed the relationship between counter-terrorism strategies and international law, specifically human rights instruments and international humanitarian law. The Minister referred to the Oud-Poelgeest seminar of April 2007 and announced further initiatives in this field. In a subsequent Plan of Action, Minister Verhagen specified the ways in which the Dutch government sought to implement the Human Rights Strategy in the field of combating terrorism. Among the concrete policy measures to be taken featured the initiation of a Follow-up Process to the Oud-Poelgeest project.