Difference between the Concepts of State Responsibility and State Liability for the Nuclear Damage

This article explores the distinction between the concepts of «state responsibility» and «state liability» both in general and in the context of international nuclear law. The purpose of this research is to explain in Russian two concepts that exist in international law, but have no analogue in Russian law, as well as to identify the essence of these legal categories. In addition, the study is aimed at more detailed research of the legal acts regulating the responsibility/liability of states for nuclear damage. The article provides an analysis of the fundamental conventions in the field of international responsibility/liability for nuclear damage, which is based on the opinion of competent scientists of international nuclear law. The author of this article conducts a detailed analysis of the legal framework in the field of both «state responsibility» and «state liability», namely, using a comparative legal method to reveal similarities and differences in such legal acts as: Convention on Early Notification of Nuclear accidents, 1986, Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency, 1986, Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy, 1960, Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, 1963, etc. The author comes to the conclusion that the concept state liability is key one, since it covers a wider range of relations, while the institution of state responsibility in the field of international nuclear law is rather «obsolete» and has lost its meaning. This article reflects analysis of the current provisions of international treaties and additional protocols to them, as well as «soft law» documents in order to more fully identify the essence of the issues under study. This article will be useful to students of law schools, graduate students, teachers of public international law, international energy law, international nuclear law, as well as all those interested in the issue of nuclear responsibility/liability and the linguistic niceties of the translation and integration of world legal institutions in the context of Russian realities.