lcp4801_word_notes

lcp4801_word_notes 1 WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL LAW ALL ABOUT? 1.1 Welcome to the International Law module: LCP4801 International law is the law between international entities such as states and international organisations. It is not about political argument although, of course, politics do inform the decisions a state takes and its basic approach to the value of international law. While international law principles are at times more pliable than those in a state’s internal law, they are still binding legal rules. An action may be politically expedient, but if it runs foul of the binding norms of international law it is legally invalid and as a student of international law, you must be able to explain this. It is our job to make these rules accessible to you, so that as a future legal practitioner, you will be able to advise your clients, formulate legal opinions and present legal arguments in a court of law. At this early stage, it must be pointed out that in writing a legal opinion, you must be able to: • identify the issues raised; • analyse the facts and the applicable legal principles; • then apply the legal principles to the facts, and support your argument with reference to authority (such as case law, relevant legislative and treaty provisions, and/or opinions expressed in academic writing);