DIPLOMATIC PROTECTION

diplomatic  protection.Protection  given by  one country’s  representatives to a  person, usu. its

citizen, against another country’s alleged violation of international law.

“The  term  diplomatic  protection  is  not altogether  precise.  First,  not  only  diplomatic  agents

and  missions and  other foreign  offices may and  do  exercise  diplomatic  protection, but also, at a

different level, consuls, and, although  very rarely,  military forces. Secondly, the  term  diplomatic

protection does not clearly denote the boundary line to other diplomatic activities for the benefit of

individuals,  such  as  mere  promotion  of  interests  in  one’s  own  nationals  in  a  foreign  State,  or

friendly  intercessions  with  foreign  authorities.  Thus,  diplomatic  or  consular  actions  to  obtain

concessions  or  other  government  contracts  for  nationals  from  the  receiving  State,  or  the

arrangement of legal defense for a justly imprisoned national are not diplomatic protection in our

sense;  they  are  usually  neither  directed  against  the  other  State  nor  based  on  a  real  or  alleged

violation  of  international  law.  All  these  last-mentioned  activities  may  be  called  diplomatic

protection  only  if  the  term  is  taken  in  a  very  broad  sense.”  William  Karl  Geck,  “Diplomatic

Protection,” in 1 Encyclopedia of Public International Law 1046 (1992). [Blacks Law 8th]