Dibyanshu Dash, National Law University Odisha, Cuttack
Introduction
The “LaGrand case”, also known as the “Germany v. United States of America case” in 1999, involved the detention, trial, and conviction of two Germans, Karl-Heinz LaGrand and Walter Bernhard LaGrand, by the state of Arizona in the United States for the murder of a US citizen.
The German government claimed that the United States violated “Article 36(1)(b) of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations”1 by failing to inform the LaGrand brothers of their right of contacting a German consulate while in custody. This denial of consular assistance and legal counsel allegedly compromised their trial and punishment. The matter was brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where at last the case was decided and it was in favour of Germany, acknowledging the United States' mistake in violating the convention. However, the LaGrand brothers were executed in Arizona before the case was fully resolved. This case is significant in the history of international law, highlighting the importance of adhering to treaties in international relations between countries such as the USA and Germany.
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