The Lotus Case

The Lotus Case (1927) involved a collision between a French and a Turkish ship, which resulted in a Turkish officer’s death. France argued that only Turkey had jurisdiction, but Turkey asserted it could try the officer. The International Court of Justice ruled that a state can exercise its sovereignty unless explicitly restricted by international law. This case established that states have broad authority to act in their own matters unless there's a specific law limiting them, emphasizing that sovereignty means freedom to act unless legally constrained.