UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
LAW TRIPOS PART IB 2018-2019, INTERNATIONAL LAW
I. Introduction to International Law
e Concept of International Law
1. International law (IL) as a body of rules and principles that regulate relations between
international persons, primarily states, but also international organisations and individuals
2. Key organising principles of international law
i. Sovereignty
ii. Territory
iii. Equality
iv. Non-intervention
v. Consent
vi. Responsibility
Brief History of International Law
3. Origins in 17th century Europe: emergence of sovereign and equal territorial entities;
Peace of Westphalia (1648)
4. Foundational ideas for contemporary international legal system appeared in European
writings in 15th and 16th centuries (Bodin, Suárez, Vitoria, Gentili)
5. Grotius, De jure belli ac pacis (1625)
The first treatment of the law of nations as a ‘systematic body of law
applicable specifically to the relations between nations’ (Neff, 4-5).
6. Universal systems of natural law: Pufendorf and Wolff in 17 th and 18th centuries
7. Vattel’s Le droit des gens (1758)
The first modern treatise on international law
8. Characteristic features of contemporary IL developed in the 19 th century
i. IL’s geographical coverage extends beyond Europe
ii. Concerted action, eg International Committee of the Red Cross
iii. International dispute settlement
9. Universalisation of IL in the 20th century
i. Diversification of actors
ii. Expansion of subject matter
iii. Humanisation
10. Challenges for international law in the 21st century
11.
A timeline of the history of international law can be found at:
http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/459289/The-History-of-International-Law/
nternational law really law?
12. The ontological challenge: two forms
LAW TRIPOS PART IB 2018-2019, INTERNATIONAL LAW
I. Introduction to International Law
e Concept of International Law
1. International law (IL) as a body of rules and principles that regulate relations between
international persons, primarily states, but also international organisations and individuals
2. Key organising principles of international law
i. Sovereignty
ii. Territory
iii. Equality
iv. Non-intervention
v. Consent
vi. Responsibility
Brief History of International Law
3. Origins in 17th century Europe: emergence of sovereign and equal territorial entities;
Peace of Westphalia (1648)
4. Foundational ideas for contemporary international legal system appeared in European
writings in 15th and 16th centuries (Bodin, Suárez, Vitoria, Gentili)
5. Grotius, De jure belli ac pacis (1625)
The first treatment of the law of nations as a ‘systematic body of law
applicable specifically to the relations between nations’ (Neff, 4-5).
6. Universal systems of natural law: Pufendorf and Wolff in 17 th and 18th centuries
7. Vattel’s Le droit des gens (1758)
The first modern treatise on international law
8. Characteristic features of contemporary IL developed in the 19 th century
i. IL’s geographical coverage extends beyond Europe
ii. Concerted action, eg International Committee of the Red Cross
iii. International dispute settlement
9. Universalisation of IL in the 20th century
i. Diversification of actors
ii. Expansion of subject matter
iii. Humanisation
10. Challenges for international law in the 21st century
11.
A timeline of the history of international law can be found at:
http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/459289/The-History-of-International-Law/
nternational law really law?
12. The ontological challenge: two forms
