Richard Reeve Baxter

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Richard Reeve Baxter (born  February 14, 1921 in New York City , †  September 25, 1980 in Boston ) was an American lawyer who was particularly active in the field of international law . From 1959 to 1979 he was a professor at Harvard University and then until his death as a judge at the International Court of Justice . In the field of international humanitarian law and international law on waterways as well as the relationship between international treaty and customary law , he was considered one of the leading experts of his time.

Life

Richard Baxter was born in New York City in 1921 and studied law at Brown University , Harvard University , the University of Cambridge and Georgetown University . He earned a BA from Brown University in 1942 and a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard six years later . From 1942 to 1954 he served in the United States Army , during which time he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit . He then worked from 1954 to 1979 at Harvard University, including from 1959 as a professor and later as the first holder of the Manley O. Hudson Chair in international law , and was also legal advisor to the State Department , the Department of Defense , and the Naval War College and the World Bank . From 1974 to 1976 he was president of the American Society of International Law , for the journal American Journal of International Law , he served from 1970 to 1978 as editor in chief.

In 1978 he was elected judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague . With his nomination, the American members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration disregarded the attitude of the American government , which had supported another candidate. His regular nine-year term began in February 1979, but he died in Boston in September of the following year . Among the decisions of the court in which he was involved during this period was the judgment pronounced in May 1980 in the case of United States of America v. Iran , in which the ICJ ruled in favor of the United States by a large majority on the question of the treatment of American diplomats in Iran during the hostage-taking of Tehran . Baxter's successor for the remainder of his term of office was, following the tradition of the court, his compatriot Stephen Myron Schwebel .

Awards and memories

Richard Baxter received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1966 and, posthumously, the Manley O. Hudson Medal in 1981 , the highest honor of the American Society for International Law, which also made him Honorary Vice President after the end of his presidency. In addition, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1970 and accepted into the Institut de Droit international in 1977. Named after him are the Richard Reeve Baxter Award, presented by the Law School of Pennsylvania State University to students studying international law, and Richard R. Baxter, awarded by the Philip C. Jessup Moot Court -Memorial Award.

Works (selection)

  • Documents on the St. Lawrence Seaway. A Selection of Documents. London 1960 and New York 1961
  • The Law of International Waterways. With Particular Regard to Interoceanic Canals. Cambridge, Mass. and London 1964
  • The Panama Canal: Background Papers and Proceedings. New York 1965 (as co-author)
  • The Law of International Drainage Basins. New York 1967 (as co-author)

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Baxter, Richard Reeve
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American lawyer and judge at the International Court of Justice
DATE OF BIRTH February 14, 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH September 25, 1980
Place of death Boston