International Law: Jurisdictional Immunity of United Nations Employees: The Gubitchev Case

Diplomatic officers are immune from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving state under well-recognized principles of customary international law, which principles are said to be a part of the law of the United States. As international organizations developed, certain privileges and immunities were given to their personnel by treaties or agreements and it appeared that by common consent of the family of nations their right to immunities might also come to be recognized as a principle of the law of nations. As yet the United States has not recognized such a principle and jurisdictional immunity here must still be provided for in the charter of the international organization or other agreement.