Though for obvious reasons news reports around Dominque Strauss-Kahn (the IMF head taken off a plane at JFK by Port Authority officers yesterday, responding to an investigation by the NYPD) have focused on the accusations of sexual assault and more, Duncan Hollis at Opinio Juris – an expert in US foreign relations law and former State Department lawyer – walks through the question of diplomatic immunity. What kind of diplomatic immunity does the head of the International Monetary Fund have? Particularly if you are media sources looking to understand a crucial legal aspect of this case, you should read Duncan’s short discussion at OJ. As is often the case with diplomatic immunity issues, particularly in regards to international organizations such as the IMF, the answer is more complicated than one might have thought.