Source: https://cbaclelegalconnection.com/tag/international-law/
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 22:40:59+00:00

Document:
Colorado has adopted the ‘Uniform Unsworn Foreign Declarations Act’, which allows the use of foreign unsworn declarations in a wide variety of situations. The bill expands the uniform law to include domestic unsworn declarations as contemplated by the ‘Uniform Unsworn Declarations Act’.
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in Habyarimana v. Kagame on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.
The widows of the former presidents of Rwanda and Burundi allege current Rwandan President Paul Kagame is responsible for their husbands’ deaths. The former presidents were killed when the plane they were in was shot down. This incident sparked the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The widows filed suit in Oklahoma federal court seeking to hold Kagame liable under the Alien Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1350, the Torture Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2340A, the Racketeeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1962, and several other state and international laws. The executive branch of the United States filed a “Suggestion of Immunity” on behalf of President Kagame as a sitting foreign head of state. The district court dismissed the case based on this immunity. In affirming the district court, the Tenth Circuit held that a “determination by the Executive Branch that a foreign head of state is immune from suit is conclusive and a court must accept such a determination without reference to the underlying claims of a plaintiff.” This is so even though the acts complained of occurred before Kagame was head of state.
The Colorado Supreme Court issued its opinion in In re Willhite v. Rodriguez-Cera on April 23, 2012.
Civil Procedure—Service of Process—Hague Service Convention.
The trial court issued an order quashing substituted service in Colorado on the sister of a defendant residing in Mexico. After previously granting substituted service under C.R.C.P. 4(f), the trial court determined that C.R.C.P. 4(d) requires that service on a defendant located in a foreign country be made according to international agreement. Because Mexico and the United States are parties to the Convention on Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Matters, the trial court concluded that plaintiff must serve defendant Rodriguez-Cera via the Hague Service Convention.
The Supreme Court held that C.R.C.P. 4(d) does not establish service according to international agreement as the exclusive means of serving a defendant located in a foreign country. The Court further held that C.R.C.P. 4(d) does not require that service on a defendant located in a foreign country actually occur abroad and does not prohibit a plaintiff from serving a defendant within the United States if otherwise authorized. The Court held that substituted service in accordance with C.R.C.P. 4(f) provides a valid alternative to service abroad. Although the Hague Service Convention is implicated whenever state law requires the transmittal of documents abroad to effectuate service, the Court concluded that the transmittal of documents abroad is not necessary to effectuate service under C.R.C.P. 4(f); therefore, the Hague Service Convention was not implicated.
The Colorado Bar Association is announcing the opportunity to join a delegation of attorneys to visit Cuba for the purpose of researching the country’s legal system. As President of the Colorado Bar Association, I am honored to have been selected to lead this delegation and invite you to join me in this unique opportunity.
Our delegation will undertake a comprehensive study of the Cuban legal system, from the teaching of law, to the criminal justice and judicial systems; civil and family code; business and commercial rights; and resolving domestic and international commercial conflicts.
Travel to Cuba is restricted by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Treasury Department. This delegation will be travelling under OFAC regulation 31 CFR §515.564 General license for professional research. This license supports our access to the highest level professionals in Cuba.
Each member of the delegation must be in compliance with the General License issued by OFAC authorizing full-time professionals to conduct a full-time schedule of research activities in Cuba with the likelihood that this research will be publicly disseminated. To ensure compliance, each participant in the program will be required to provide a resume and sign an affidavit attesting to his or her status as a full-time professional, paid or unpaid, in the field of research.
Travel arrangements will be made through our cooperation with Professionals Abroad, a division of Academic Travel Abroad. The 60-year-old organization handles the logistical arrangements for prestigious organizations, such as National Geographic, The Smithsonian, The American Museum of Natural History and many top professional associations and universities. Academic Travel Abroad is licensed by the OFAC as a Travel Services Provider for US travel to Cuba, and has also arranged travel for members of the Minnesota, Illinois, New Mexico, and Washington bars.
This delegation will convene in Miami, Florida on October 7, 2012 at which time we will depart for Cuba. We will return to the United States on October 12, 2012. Delegates will participate in professional meetings and site visits each day; the specific meetings and topics for discussion will be determined by the research interests and composition of the team.
The estimated cost per delegation member is $4,595 U.S.D. This cost includes roundtrip international air arrangements between Miami and Havana; group transportation, meetings, accommodations in double-occupancy rooms, most meals, and essentially all other costs associated with participation, as outlined in the final schedule of activities.
For U.S. citizens, expenses associated with this program may be tax deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense. We suggest that you consult with a tax advisor to determine if tax deductibility is applicable to you.
Due to the extensive planning and communication involved in coordinating a program of this nature, please respond with your intentions regarding this invitation as soon as possible. Please RSVP to Professionals Abroad at 1-877-298-9677 or via the web at www.professionalsabroad.org and search for the CBA program by name: Colorado Bar Association. A $500 deposit is required to secure your place on the team. I look forward to hearing from you regarding your participation.
If you have questions regarding the delegation, contact our Program Representative at Professionals Abroad, at 1-877-298-9677. For additional program details, please visit www.professionalsabroad.org.
I am pleased to be involved in this exciting opportunity and hope that you will strongly consider participating in the delegation to Cuba.

References: v. 
 § 1350
 § 2340
 § 1962
 v. 
 §515