Introduction

Legal Literacy - The principle of state responsibility is a fundamental pillar that underpins the international legal order. Without a mechanism to determine accountability for violations, international law would only be a series of moral exhortations without binding force. This concept forms the basis for demanding accountability when a state violates its international obligations, whether arising from treaties, customary law, or other sources.This article will systematically dissect the legal framework of state responsibility, referring to the most authoritative codification to date, namely theArticles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts

which was finalized by the International Law Commission (ILC) in 2001. Legal Basis and Fundamental Elements of State Responsibility Although not yet a binding treaty,

ILC Articles 2001

is widely recognized by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and various other courts as a reflection of customary international law. This framework presents a unified and modern approach. According to Article 2 ILC Articles

, an internationally wrongful act by a state arises when there are two cumulative elements: Attribution:The act, whether an action or omission, must be attributable to the state under international law.Breach

  1. The act constitutes a breach of an international obligation of the state in question.This approach unites all types of breaches under one umbrella, no longer rigidly distinguishing between liability arising from contract or from other tortious acts.Attribution of Acts to the State Because the state is an abstract legal entity, international law establishes specific rules for determining whose actions are considered acts of the state. Some of the most important bases of attribution according to the ILC Articles are:action) maupun kelalaian (omission), harus dapat diatribusikan atau dilekatkan pada negara menurut hukum internasional.
  2. Pelanggaran (BreachAttribution of Acts to the State Perbuatan tersebut merupakan bentuk pelanggaran terhadap suatu kewajiban internasional yang dimiliki oleh negara yang bersangkutan.

Pendekatan ini menyatukan semua jenis pelanggaran di bawah satu payung, tidak lagi membedakan secara kaku antara tanggung jawab yang lahir dari perjanjian (contractual liability) atau dari perbuatan melawan hukum lainnya (delictual liability).