Legal Committee (LEGAL)

Contact: legal@munuc.org
Committee Group: General Assembly

Chair: Mr. Clay Nickens
Assistant Chair: Ms. Xinchu Wang
Assistant Chair: Ms. Giselle Quezada
Assistant Chair: Mr. Ephraim Abreu
Assistant Chair: Ms. Gladys Banfor
Assistant Chair: Mr. Kyuhyun Jo
Moderator: Ms. Amy Chou

Description:
The Legal Committee is the United Nation's driving force behind developing international law. In colloquial terms, we define the rules of the international relations game.

For MUNUC XXIV, the GA 6: Legal Committee staff is excited to present two topics of discussion: (A) Liability for Man-Made Disasters and (B) Corporate Personhood.

Liability for Man-Made Disasters is a complex topic with an international footprint. With so many involved parties--countries, agencies, corporations, individuals--determining who is responsible for a disaster is rarely a simple task. Even when those at fault can be easily identified, sometimes international society is better served by dispersing the costs of the disaster more broadly. If the Committee selects Topic A, we will grapple with issues of limited liability, the necessity (or not) of protecting corporations, and downriver/upriver, nuclear/non-nuclear, and oil-producer/oil-consumer divisions.

Corporate Personhood is an exhilarating, relevant, yet highly technical topic. A core pillar of Western capitalism is treating corporations as individuals before the law, giving them (as an organization of citizens) many of the rights of a regular citizen. (For example, right to sue in court and freedom of speech.) However, while corporations are extended many rights, they rarely face the same expectations that might be required of a citizen: corporations cannot serve on a jury, and do not pay tax rates at the same levels as individuals. While corporate personhood may seem like only a concern in the US and Britain, or only in the West, the broad scope of the modern international corporation makes corporate personhood a pressing, relevant concern for the Legal Committee. If the Committee selects Topic B, we must find the appropriate balance between the rights that allow corporations to function and expectations that protect society.

Both Topics will require delegates to investigate, think creatively, and challenge the status quos. As a GA Committee, we represent every UN country, and must find the ability to compromise while acting decisively. The world relies on us--after all, no committee is interested in specifics while painting wide brush strokes in the same way that the Legal Committee is.