Public International Law – notes
WEEK 1 – NATURE AND STRUCTURE
How does international law affect our daily lives?
- Think about Covid-19, BREXIT, international post, international air travel, reduction of
roaming charges in EU
- What’s the purpose of international law?
Overview of topics
- Foundations and structure of international law (relationship international en national
law)
- Sources (what rules do apply?)
- Subjects (defined to whom the law applies, legal and physical persons)
- Jurisdiction and immunity (well-regulated field, in which territory and area it applies,
when you break the law here in NL, how come it is NL that comes after you and not the
UK for example?)
- State responsibility
- International dispute settlement (If someone you have a contract with robs you, or
someone runs you over in their car, you go to court. How does that work at int level?)
- Use of force (Should and is it legally permissible for NL to bomb Syrian regime or ISIS?)
The basics of public international law – evolution
International law was not built in a day
- Pre-Greek civilisations:
o Before 2100 BC Treaty between Lagash and Umma of Mesopotamia settlement
of disputes through arbitration, solemn oath for observance
- Ancient Greek and Roman times
o Origin of certain principles and customs
o Treatment of foreigners, arbitration for settling disputes, treaties on commerce,
peace agreements
- Colonialism (15th century onwards): Spanish, French, British, Dutch role (unsurprisingly
many scholars of international law from these countries): acquisition of territories,
sovereignty, freedom of high seas etc
- Catholic church: international institutions
o First ad hoc court in 1474: Von Hagenbach trial
o Frist criminal trial
- End of 16th century: Pope’s gradual loss of power
Birth of modern international law: 1648 peace of Westphalia
- 17th century: birth of modern international community
- Why was the peace of Westphalia so important for the formation of international law?
o Consolidation of nation states in Europe
o Unquestionable source of authority for States
o Reduce powers of religion
19th century
- Positivism versus natural law: which one prevailed
o Natural law: associated with Christian universalism/values
o Positivism: Augustus Comte
- Emergence of formal international institutions: Int Telegraph Union (1865) and
Universal Postal Union (1874); Hague conferences (1899, 1907)
20th and 21st century
- Interwar period: league of nations
- After the first and second world wars:
o UN charter; IOs; ICL (Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals)
o International law can be directly to one person, starts prohibiting certain acts,
not only against states but also against individuals
, o Led too creation of multilateralism and international organizations and
development of important peels of law
- Decolonization: Self-determination
- Globalization (economic; cultural) 1989…
o Multiplication of actors
o Global governance
- 9/11
- Populism
The basics of public international law – national and international law
National and international law
Domestical law: law between state and nationals
- There is a central authority that makes laws, whether with the population’s consent or
not, and enforces those rules.
- There is a law-making body, maybe a parliament or a senate; and there is a police force
and courts. (well, in the best-case scenario there is).
- In many ways it is vertical, from the top down.
International law: is the law between States.
- State A makes an agreement with State B.
- Its horizontal. There is no central authority like a parliament or a senate that makes
laws. So it is the law that regulates how States interact with each other.
The system of law that regulates the interrelationship of sovereign states and other actors as
well as their rights and duties to one another.
Relationship between national and international law?
Monism
- A single and coherent legal system
- International law directly applicable in national legal system
Dualism
- Two separate legal systems that operate independently
- National legislation adopted to give effect to international law, the agreement needs to
go through the national parliament and adopt a national law for example
Pluralism
- Relationship between the two systems is more complex and diverse
The basics of public international law – the structure
Two key notions that explain why we have international law
Ways to become of interest to more than one state:
- Coexistence (clashing): need between nations to coexists, of varying state interests
o Issues that are inherently of interest to more than one state (f.i. territory, criteria
for statehood)
o Air travel
o Trade
o Use of the sea
o Creation of states
o Treatment of ambassadors
o Telecommunications
- Cooperation: states have agreed to certain issues, between states
o States ‘turn’ of ‘choose’ to make matters fall under international law (f.i. eu law,
environmental law)
o Prohibition on the use of force
o Human rights
o International crimes
o Protection of the environment
How become issues under the scope of public international law?
, - Treaties: Vienna
Two key notions that explain how international law works
1. Sovereignty: equality of states
a. Within a giving state, that state has the supreme power of their territory (NL)
and may not be subject to the jurisdiction of other states
b. Each state has 1 formal vote which count equally
2. Consent
a. States must consent to be bound by international rules
Reflected in the fabric of international law
1. Sources
2. Jurisdiction
3. Immunities
The basics of public international law – (non) implementation of international law
Critique that the international law is not a law because:
- Can’t be enforced
- States will act in their best interests regardless of the rules
- It is ineffective because it is violated all the time
- Just a collection of principles/values
Louis Henkin: ‘Almost all nations observe almost all principles of international law and almost
all of their obligations almost all of the time.’
Why do states obey international law (most of the time…)?
- Desire for order and predictability over chaos
o James brierly (1963): “the ultimate explanation of the binding force of all law is
that man (read: person), …in so far as he is a reasonable being, is to believe that
order and not chaos is the governing principle of the world in which he has to
live”
- Consent and Obedience: Sovereign equality of states (reciprocity; social sanctions)
- Legitimacy: credibility, reputation – who would join US in a potential war against Iran?
- Enforcement mechanisms
o Retorsions (diplomatic) / Contracts: ‘Tit for Tat’ … Effectiveness?
Enforcement of international law
- International organisations
- International courts and tribunals
- Countermeasures
WEEK 2 – SOURCES
Where do we find sources of international law?
- No hierarchies in IL
- Article 36 ICJ Statue there are the sources listed:
- Primary sources:
o international conventions (treaties), whether general or particular, …
o international custom, as evidence of a general practice accepted as law
- Secondary sources
o general principles of law recognized by civilized nations.
o judicial decisions and the teachings of the most highly qualified publicists …, as
subsidiary means for the determination of rules of law.
International convention or treaties
The law of treaties is regulated by a treaty that tells us how a treaty is formed. The Vienna
Convention on the Law of Treaties says how a treaty is formed. Treaties itself may not contain
rules
WEEK 1 – NATURE AND STRUCTURE
How does international law affect our daily lives?
- Think about Covid-19, BREXIT, international post, international air travel, reduction of
roaming charges in EU
- What’s the purpose of international law?
Overview of topics
- Foundations and structure of international law (relationship international en national
law)
- Sources (what rules do apply?)
- Subjects (defined to whom the law applies, legal and physical persons)
- Jurisdiction and immunity (well-regulated field, in which territory and area it applies,
when you break the law here in NL, how come it is NL that comes after you and not the
UK for example?)
- State responsibility
- International dispute settlement (If someone you have a contract with robs you, or
someone runs you over in their car, you go to court. How does that work at int level?)
- Use of force (Should and is it legally permissible for NL to bomb Syrian regime or ISIS?)
The basics of public international law – evolution
International law was not built in a day
- Pre-Greek civilisations:
o Before 2100 BC Treaty between Lagash and Umma of Mesopotamia settlement
of disputes through arbitration, solemn oath for observance
- Ancient Greek and Roman times
o Origin of certain principles and customs
o Treatment of foreigners, arbitration for settling disputes, treaties on commerce,
peace agreements
- Colonialism (15th century onwards): Spanish, French, British, Dutch role (unsurprisingly
many scholars of international law from these countries): acquisition of territories,
sovereignty, freedom of high seas etc
- Catholic church: international institutions
o First ad hoc court in 1474: Von Hagenbach trial
o Frist criminal trial
- End of 16th century: Pope’s gradual loss of power
Birth of modern international law: 1648 peace of Westphalia
- 17th century: birth of modern international community
- Why was the peace of Westphalia so important for the formation of international law?
o Consolidation of nation states in Europe
o Unquestionable source of authority for States
o Reduce powers of religion
19th century
- Positivism versus natural law: which one prevailed
o Natural law: associated with Christian universalism/values
o Positivism: Augustus Comte
- Emergence of formal international institutions: Int Telegraph Union (1865) and
Universal Postal Union (1874); Hague conferences (1899, 1907)
20th and 21st century
- Interwar period: league of nations
- After the first and second world wars:
o UN charter; IOs; ICL (Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals)
o International law can be directly to one person, starts prohibiting certain acts,
not only against states but also against individuals
, o Led too creation of multilateralism and international organizations and
development of important peels of law
- Decolonization: Self-determination
- Globalization (economic; cultural) 1989…
o Multiplication of actors
o Global governance
- 9/11
- Populism
The basics of public international law – national and international law
National and international law
Domestical law: law between state and nationals
- There is a central authority that makes laws, whether with the population’s consent or
not, and enforces those rules.
- There is a law-making body, maybe a parliament or a senate; and there is a police force
and courts. (well, in the best-case scenario there is).
- In many ways it is vertical, from the top down.
International law: is the law between States.
- State A makes an agreement with State B.
- Its horizontal. There is no central authority like a parliament or a senate that makes
laws. So it is the law that regulates how States interact with each other.
The system of law that regulates the interrelationship of sovereign states and other actors as
well as their rights and duties to one another.
Relationship between national and international law?
Monism
- A single and coherent legal system
- International law directly applicable in national legal system
Dualism
- Two separate legal systems that operate independently
- National legislation adopted to give effect to international law, the agreement needs to
go through the national parliament and adopt a national law for example
Pluralism
- Relationship between the two systems is more complex and diverse
The basics of public international law – the structure
Two key notions that explain why we have international law
Ways to become of interest to more than one state:
- Coexistence (clashing): need between nations to coexists, of varying state interests
o Issues that are inherently of interest to more than one state (f.i. territory, criteria
for statehood)
o Air travel
o Trade
o Use of the sea
o Creation of states
o Treatment of ambassadors
o Telecommunications
- Cooperation: states have agreed to certain issues, between states
o States ‘turn’ of ‘choose’ to make matters fall under international law (f.i. eu law,
environmental law)
o Prohibition on the use of force
o Human rights
o International crimes
o Protection of the environment
How become issues under the scope of public international law?
, - Treaties: Vienna
Two key notions that explain how international law works
1. Sovereignty: equality of states
a. Within a giving state, that state has the supreme power of their territory (NL)
and may not be subject to the jurisdiction of other states
b. Each state has 1 formal vote which count equally
2. Consent
a. States must consent to be bound by international rules
Reflected in the fabric of international law
1. Sources
2. Jurisdiction
3. Immunities
The basics of public international law – (non) implementation of international law
Critique that the international law is not a law because:
- Can’t be enforced
- States will act in their best interests regardless of the rules
- It is ineffective because it is violated all the time
- Just a collection of principles/values
Louis Henkin: ‘Almost all nations observe almost all principles of international law and almost
all of their obligations almost all of the time.’
Why do states obey international law (most of the time…)?
- Desire for order and predictability over chaos
o James brierly (1963): “the ultimate explanation of the binding force of all law is
that man (read: person), …in so far as he is a reasonable being, is to believe that
order and not chaos is the governing principle of the world in which he has to
live”
- Consent and Obedience: Sovereign equality of states (reciprocity; social sanctions)
- Legitimacy: credibility, reputation – who would join US in a potential war against Iran?
- Enforcement mechanisms
o Retorsions (diplomatic) / Contracts: ‘Tit for Tat’ … Effectiveness?
Enforcement of international law
- International organisations
- International courts and tribunals
- Countermeasures
WEEK 2 – SOURCES
Where do we find sources of international law?
- No hierarchies in IL
- Article 36 ICJ Statue there are the sources listed:
- Primary sources:
o international conventions (treaties), whether general or particular, …
o international custom, as evidence of a general practice accepted as law
- Secondary sources
o general principles of law recognized by civilized nations.
o judicial decisions and the teachings of the most highly qualified publicists …, as
subsidiary means for the determination of rules of law.
International convention or treaties
The law of treaties is regulated by a treaty that tells us how a treaty is formed. The Vienna
Convention on the Law of Treaties says how a treaty is formed. Treaties itself may not contain
rules
