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NATIONALITY
NATIONALITY
OF
NATIONALITY
INTRODUCTION
(A) THE DOCTRINE OF THE
FREEDOM OF STATES IN MATTERS
OF NATIONALITY
It is widely thought that states have general
freedom of action in matters of nationality. For example
in Nationality Decrees Issued in Tunis and Morocco the
Permanent Court said:
The question whether a certain matter is or is not
solely within the jurisdiction of a state is an essentially
relative question; it depends upon the development of
international relations. Thus, in the present state of
international law, questions nationality are, in the opinion
of this Court in principle within this reserved domain.
Or as ILC Special Rapporteur Manley Hudson
put it, in principle, questions of nationality fall
within the domestic jurisdiction of each state.