Restitution is generally associated with the idea of returning something lost or stolen to its legitimate owner. In international law, however, the notion of restitution is linked with the issue of state responsibility. In this sense, restitution is one of the forms through which a state may discharge its obligation to provide reparation for the harm caused by its wrongful acts. More precisely, the term is used, in international practice, in at least two senses. In the strict sense, it signifies the return of unlawfully taken property to the original owner. In the broad sense, restitution (or, in its Latin version, restitutio in integrum) is the re-establishment, as far as possible, of the situation that existed before a wrongful act was committed.

Restitution as a Form of Reparation under International Law

A broad consensus exists among the...