Diplomatic Immunity Essay

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As stated in the Code of Hammurabi, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”, this was the notion that for every undesirable act that was done, there should be an equal punishment given (The Phrase Finder). The code was also based on the rule of law, which ultimately states that no person is above the law. Furthermore, in terms of diplomatic immunity, before looking at the problems of it, we must first establish the history of it. Some might ask, what is a diplomat? Well according to the dictionary, a diplomat is “a person appointed by the government, to conduct official negotiations and maintain political, economic, and social relations with another country or countries” (“Diplomat, 2014). Some other duties of a diplomat include, promoting relationships between different countries, protecting the interest of the home country with the host country, and representing the home country in the host country (E Diplomat). Above all, it is a fair statement to say that, diplomats truly have a special job position. Along with the duties diplomats have to preform, they are also protected and exempt from all laws, while in the host country and this is ultimately known as diplomatic immunity (Tunks, 2002).
Besides the duties that diplomats perform, to truly understand diplomatic immunity we must first know where it came from. In 1961, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations was drafted and this convention outlined the rules included in diplomatic and International Law. It codified the most contemporary diplomatic practices, which include diplomatic immunity (E Diplomat). Along with the immunity, it is also true that diplomats and their immediate family have no criminal, civil or administrative liability (Zabyelina, 2013). Diplomats may...

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...or which it should be eradicated from the Vienna Convention. The main purpose for the immunity was to ensure diplomats did their jobs; which it has done. Now all it seems to be doing is continuing to benefit the diplomats and not their missions. In retrospect, the amount of incidents involving diplomats may be small, but it is only a matter of time until we start to see an increase in abuse. It is now up to the United Nations to get together and discus this issue. They must debate the possible proposals and come up with a logical answer. In the near and far future, the United Nations will have to reform diplomatic immunity or risk the resent and retaliation of the other 160 nations. As a final point, as stated by author Lois McMaster Bujold in her book Diplomatic Immunity, “the dead cannot cry out for justice; it is a duty of the living to do so for them” (Bujold).

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