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]