Attila Novák

Attila Novák is a doctoral researcher in public international law at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain, Belgium). He holds an Advanced Master’s degree in International Law from UCLouvain and completed his legal studies (LL.M.) at the University of Novi Sad. His doctoral research focuses on the evolving and increasing practice of states and international organisations in imposing non-judicial constraint on foreign state property (usually labelled as sanctions), ranging from provisional asset freezes or imposed management to permanent takings, such as confiscation. It evaluates the legality of such practices under various branches of international law, including the law of State immunity, the principle of non-intervention, international diplomatic and consular law, international humanitarian law, and international investment law. He also explores potential justifications under the law of State responsibility, particularly the viability of invoking countermeasures or self-defence as circumstances precluding the wrongfulness of non-judicial asset constraints, as well as other justifications under international law, such as the execution of decisions of international judicial bodies or the implementation of the decisions of the organs of the United Nations.