LCP4801
Assignment 2 Semester 1 2026
Unique number:
Due Date: 2026
QUESTION 1
1.1. (2 DIFFERENT ANSWERS PROVIDED)
International law developed as a set of rules and principles that regulate relations between
political communities across borders, especially between states. In its modern form, it is
often described as “law between states”, meaning it governs how states interact externally
through diplomacy, trade, war and peace, and cooperation in international organisations.1
This state-centred framing became dominant in Europe from the early modern period and
was strengthened by the emergence of the sovereign state as the central unit of world
politics.1 At the same time, this narrative can be misleading if it suggests that international
law began only in Europe, because organised African polities engaged in cross-border
diplomacy, trade, treaty-like arrangements and customary practices long before the modern
European state system was consolidated.1
Modern international law is commonly traced to the period between 1500 and 1648. During
this era, European expansion, maritime trade and religious conflict created a need for rules
Terms of use
governing war, diplomacy and territorial acquisition. The Peaceuseofof Westphalia
By making of agree
this document you 1648to:
marked a decisive turning point
Use this
by document as a guide
entrenching the for learning, comparison
principle of state and reference purpose,
sovereignty and of use
Terms
Not to duplicate, reproduce and/or misrepresent the contents of this document as your own work,
By making use of this document you agree to:
Fully accept the consequences should
Use this document solely as a guide for learning, you plagiarise
reference,or and
misuse this document.
comparison purposes,
Ensure originality of your own work, and fully accept the consequences should you plagiarise or misuse this document.
Comply with all relevant standards, guidelines, regulations, and legislation governing academic and written work.
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is" without any express or
implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or liability for any actions taken based on the
information contained within this document. This document is intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes.
Reproduction, resale, or transmission of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
, +27 81 278 3372
QUESTION 1
1.1. (2 DIFFERENT ANSWERS PROVIDED)
International law developed as a set of rules and principles that regulate relations between
political communities across borders, especially between states. In its modern form, it is
often described as “law between states”, meaning it governs how states interact externally
through diplomacy, trade, war and peace, and cooperation in international organisations.1
This state-centred framing became dominant in Europe from the early modern period and
was strengthened by the emergence of the sovereign state as the central unit of world
politics.2 At the same time, this narrative can be misleading if it suggests that international
law began only in Europe, because organised African polities engaged in cross-border
diplomacy, trade, treaty-like arrangements and customary practices long before the
modern European state system was consolidated.3
Modern international law is commonly traced to the period between 1500 and 1648.
During this era, European expansion, maritime trade and religious conflict created a need
for rules governing war, diplomacy and territorial acquisition. The Peace of Westphalia of
1648 marked a decisive turning point by entrenching the principle of state sovereignty and
sovereign equality. The Westphalian model established an international order composed
of independent states exercising authority within defined territories and coordinating their
relations on the basis of equality and non-interference.4 These principles remain
foundational in contemporary international law and are reflected in the United Nations
Charter.
The intellectual foundations of international law were laid by early European jurists such
as Hugo Grotius, who articulated principles governing war and peace and advanced the
doctrine of freedom of the seas. However, as Ehrlich explains, international law developed
not merely as a collection of rules but as a science shaped by intellectual trends and
political realities.5 It evolved in response to practical necessities arising from interstate
interaction rather than abstract theorising alone.
1
H Strydom (ed), International Law (2nd edn, Oxford University Press 2020) 8–10.
2
Ibid.
3
Smith, „Peace and Palaver: International Relations in Pre-colonial West Africa‟ 599–621.
4
H Strydom (ed), International Law (2nd edn, Oxford University Press 2020) 8–10.
5
L Ehrlich, „The Development of International Law as a Science‟ (1962) 105 Recueil des Cours 173, 176–
180.
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is"
without any express or implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or
liability for any actions taken based on the information contained within this document. This document is
intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes. Reproduction, resale, or transmission
of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
Assignment 2 Semester 1 2026
Unique number:
Due Date: 2026
QUESTION 1
1.1. (2 DIFFERENT ANSWERS PROVIDED)
International law developed as a set of rules and principles that regulate relations between
political communities across borders, especially between states. In its modern form, it is
often described as “law between states”, meaning it governs how states interact externally
through diplomacy, trade, war and peace, and cooperation in international organisations.1
This state-centred framing became dominant in Europe from the early modern period and
was strengthened by the emergence of the sovereign state as the central unit of world
politics.1 At the same time, this narrative can be misleading if it suggests that international
law began only in Europe, because organised African polities engaged in cross-border
diplomacy, trade, treaty-like arrangements and customary practices long before the modern
European state system was consolidated.1
Modern international law is commonly traced to the period between 1500 and 1648. During
this era, European expansion, maritime trade and religious conflict created a need for rules
Terms of use
governing war, diplomacy and territorial acquisition. The Peaceuseofof Westphalia
By making of agree
this document you 1648to:
marked a decisive turning point
Use this
by document as a guide
entrenching the for learning, comparison
principle of state and reference purpose,
sovereignty and of use
Terms
Not to duplicate, reproduce and/or misrepresent the contents of this document as your own work,
By making use of this document you agree to:
Fully accept the consequences should
Use this document solely as a guide for learning, you plagiarise
reference,or and
misuse this document.
comparison purposes,
Ensure originality of your own work, and fully accept the consequences should you plagiarise or misuse this document.
Comply with all relevant standards, guidelines, regulations, and legislation governing academic and written work.
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is" without any express or
implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or liability for any actions taken based on the
information contained within this document. This document is intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes.
Reproduction, resale, or transmission of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
, +27 81 278 3372
QUESTION 1
1.1. (2 DIFFERENT ANSWERS PROVIDED)
International law developed as a set of rules and principles that regulate relations between
political communities across borders, especially between states. In its modern form, it is
often described as “law between states”, meaning it governs how states interact externally
through diplomacy, trade, war and peace, and cooperation in international organisations.1
This state-centred framing became dominant in Europe from the early modern period and
was strengthened by the emergence of the sovereign state as the central unit of world
politics.2 At the same time, this narrative can be misleading if it suggests that international
law began only in Europe, because organised African polities engaged in cross-border
diplomacy, trade, treaty-like arrangements and customary practices long before the
modern European state system was consolidated.3
Modern international law is commonly traced to the period between 1500 and 1648.
During this era, European expansion, maritime trade and religious conflict created a need
for rules governing war, diplomacy and territorial acquisition. The Peace of Westphalia of
1648 marked a decisive turning point by entrenching the principle of state sovereignty and
sovereign equality. The Westphalian model established an international order composed
of independent states exercising authority within defined territories and coordinating their
relations on the basis of equality and non-interference.4 These principles remain
foundational in contemporary international law and are reflected in the United Nations
Charter.
The intellectual foundations of international law were laid by early European jurists such
as Hugo Grotius, who articulated principles governing war and peace and advanced the
doctrine of freedom of the seas. However, as Ehrlich explains, international law developed
not merely as a collection of rules but as a science shaped by intellectual trends and
political realities.5 It evolved in response to practical necessities arising from interstate
interaction rather than abstract theorising alone.
1
H Strydom (ed), International Law (2nd edn, Oxford University Press 2020) 8–10.
2
Ibid.
3
Smith, „Peace and Palaver: International Relations in Pre-colonial West Africa‟ 599–621.
4
H Strydom (ed), International Law (2nd edn, Oxford University Press 2020) 8–10.
5
L Ehrlich, „The Development of International Law as a Science‟ (1962) 105 Recueil des Cours 173, 176–
180.
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is"
without any express or implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or
liability for any actions taken based on the information contained within this document. This document is
intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes. Reproduction, resale, or transmission
of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
