Arrêt Lotus (1927) articulates a rule about extraterritorial jurisdiction. Which statement best captures it?

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Multiple Choice

Arrêt Lotus (1927) articulates a rule about extraterritorial jurisdiction. Which statement best captures it?

Extraterritorial jurisdiction is about a state applying its law to acts that happen outside its own territory. In Arrêt Lotus, the Court said there isn’t a blanket rule in international law that forbids a state from exercising jurisdiction over foreign situations. A state may extend its jurisdiction beyond its borders, as long as that exercise does not violate another state’s sovereignty—most notably, it should not coercively intervene on the territory of another state. That is why the statement that best captures the Lotus rule says states may extend their jurisdiction to foreign situations as long as they do not coerce on the territory of another state. It reflects the permissive stance of Lotus: extraterritorial action is not categorically prohibited, but it must respect the territorial rights of other states. The other options are too absolute or incorrect: extraterritorial reach is not banned outright; international law does not require UN authorization for all extraterritorial measures; and the idea that states may never act beyond their borders is simply false in light of Lotus.

Extraterritorial jurisdiction is about a state applying its law to acts that happen outside its own territory. In Arrêt Lotus, the Court said there isn’t a blanket rule in international law that forbids a state from exercising jurisdiction over foreign situations. A state may extend its jurisdiction beyond its borders, as long as that exercise does not violate another state’s sovereignty—most notably, it should not coercively intervene on the territory of another state.

That is why the statement that best captures the Lotus rule says states may extend their jurisdiction to foreign situations as long as they do not coerce on the territory of another state. It reflects the permissive stance of Lotus: extraterritorial action is not categorically prohibited, but it must respect the territorial rights of other states.

The other options are too absolute or incorrect: extraterritorial reach is not banned outright; international law does not require UN authorization for all extraterritorial measures; and the idea that states may never act beyond their borders is simply false in light of Lotus.

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