The Paradox of Consensualism in International Law

The Paradox of Consensualism in International Law PDF Author: C.L. Lim
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004635238
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 344

Get Book Here

Book Description
If international law is derived from the consent of States, who should be in a better position to say what has been consented to than the disputing States themselves? It seems that if the doctrine of consent is taken seriously, there would be no room for an 'objective' legal answer to the question `What is law?'. Furthermore, States do not necessarily employ the same criteria for determining the applicable law when engaged in dispute. And the doctrine of sovereignty is of very limited utility, since not all of substantive international law can be explained in terms of the atomic concept of sovereignty. This leaves consent as the mediating concept between the substantive doctrine of international law on the one hand and the actual practice of States (and others whose practice and participation in the global legal order help shape the body of international laws) on the other. Nevertheless, this is not to say that there is nothing `higher' than the actual legal claims forwarded by international actors. International law is no mere superstition, since none argue that there is no (one) legal solution. In that sense, the unity of the international legal order is preserved. The problem is that the solutions actually forwarded in dispute are too numerous and international law too abstract to serve as arbiters between the competing claims. Thus, at the level of substantive doctrine there is a fragmentation of that earlier-mentioned picture of unity. But even here, only consent can mediate between unity and fragmentation, stability and change, order and justice, legislation and revolution. The strength of international law lies in its adaptability to political, strategic and diplomatic necessities. To suggest otherwise is to depart from a picture of international law that presumes the empirical verifiability of international laws. This book has as its principal concern certain orthodoxies of `source thinking' in international law, and is aimed at working out the implications of these. It aims to show how certain theoretical conceptions have shaped the law in action, for good or ill. It will appeal to political theorists, diplomats, global decision-makers, and international lawyers who are interested in the question `What can we do with the international law that we have?', as distinct from the question `What should we do with international law?'.

The Paradox of Consensualism in International Law

The Paradox of Consensualism in International Law PDF Author: C.L. Lim
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004635238
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 344

Get Book Here

Book Description
If international law is derived from the consent of States, who should be in a better position to say what has been consented to than the disputing States themselves? It seems that if the doctrine of consent is taken seriously, there would be no room for an 'objective' legal answer to the question `What is law?'. Furthermore, States do not necessarily employ the same criteria for determining the applicable law when engaged in dispute. And the doctrine of sovereignty is of very limited utility, since not all of substantive international law can be explained in terms of the atomic concept of sovereignty. This leaves consent as the mediating concept between the substantive doctrine of international law on the one hand and the actual practice of States (and others whose practice and participation in the global legal order help shape the body of international laws) on the other. Nevertheless, this is not to say that there is nothing `higher' than the actual legal claims forwarded by international actors. International law is no mere superstition, since none argue that there is no (one) legal solution. In that sense, the unity of the international legal order is preserved. The problem is that the solutions actually forwarded in dispute are too numerous and international law too abstract to serve as arbiters between the competing claims. Thus, at the level of substantive doctrine there is a fragmentation of that earlier-mentioned picture of unity. But even here, only consent can mediate between unity and fragmentation, stability and change, order and justice, legislation and revolution. The strength of international law lies in its adaptability to political, strategic and diplomatic necessities. To suggest otherwise is to depart from a picture of international law that presumes the empirical verifiability of international laws. This book has as its principal concern certain orthodoxies of `source thinking' in international law, and is aimed at working out the implications of these. It aims to show how certain theoretical conceptions have shaped the law in action, for good or ill. It will appeal to political theorists, diplomats, global decision-makers, and international lawyers who are interested in the question `What can we do with the international law that we have?', as distinct from the question `What should we do with international law?'.

The Paradox of Consensualism in International Law

The Paradox of Consensualism in International Law PDF Author: O. A. Elias
Publisher: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
ISBN: 9041105166
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 322

Get Book Here

Book Description
If international law is derived from the consent of States, who should be in a better position to say what has been consented to than the disputing States themselves? It seems that if the doctrine of consent is taken seriously, there would be no room for an 'objective' legal answer to the question 'What is law?'. Furthermore, States do not necessarily employ the same criteria for determining the applicable law when engaged in dispute. And the doctrine of sovereignty is of very limited utility, since not all of substantive international law can be explained in terms of the atomic concept of sovereignty. This leaves consent as the mediating concept between the substantive doctrine of international law on the one hand and the actual practice of States (and others whose practice and participation in the global legal order help shape the body of international laws) on the other. Nevertheless, this is not to say that there is nothing 'higher' than the actual legal claims forwarded by international actors. International law is no mere superstition, since none argue that there is no (one) legal solution. In that sense, the unity of the international legal order is preserved. The problem is that the solutions actually forwarded in dispute are too numerous and international law too abstract to serve as arbiters between the competing claims. Thus, at the level of substantive doctrine there is a fragmentation of that earlier-mentioned picture of unity. But even here, only consent can mediate between unity and fragmentation, stability and change, order and justice, legislation and revolution. The strength of international law lies in its adaptability to political, strategic and diplomatic necessities. To suggest otherwise is to depart from a picture of international law that presumes the empirical verifiability of international laws. This book has as its principal concern certain orthodoxies of 'source thinking' in international law, and is aimed at working out the implications of these. It aims to show how certain theoretical conceptions have shaped the law in action, for good or ill. It will appeal to political theorists, diplomats, global decision-makers, and international lawyers who are interested in the question 'What can we do with the international law that we have?', as distinct from the question 'What should we do with international law?'.

The Persistent Objector Rule in International Law

The Persistent Objector Rule in International Law PDF Author: James A. Green
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191009563
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 353

Get Book Here

Book Description
The persistent objector rule is said to provide states with an 'escape hatch' from the otherwise universal binding force of customary international law. It provides that if a state persistently objects to a newly emerging norm of customary international law during the formation of that norm, then the objecting state is exempt from the norm once it crystallises into law. The conceptual role of the rule may be interpreted as straightforward: to preserve the fundamentalist positivist notion that any norm of international law can only bind a state that has consented to be bound by it. In reality, however, numerous unanswered questions exist about the way that it works in practice. Through focused analysis of state practice, this monograph provides a detailed understanding of how the rule emerged and operates, how it should be conceptualised, and what its implications are for the binding nature of customary international law. It argues that the persistent objector rule ultimately has an important role to play in the mixture of consent and consensus that underpins international law.

International Law in the U.S. Legal System

International Law in the U.S. Legal System PDF Author: Curtis A. Bradley
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190217790
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 511

Get Book Here

Book Description
International Law in the U.S. Legal System provides a wide-ranging overview of how international law intersects with the domestic legal system within the United States, and points out various unresolved issues and areas of controversy. Curtis Bradley covers all of the principal forms of international law: treaties, decisions and orders of international institutions, customary international law, and jus cogens norms. He also explores a number of issues that are implicated by the intersection of U.S. law and international law, such as foreign sovereign immunity, international human rights litigation, war powers, extradition, and extraterritoriality. This book highlights recent decisions and events relating to the topic (including decisions and events arising out of the war on terrorism), while also taking into account relevant historical materials, including materials relating to the U.S. Constitutional founding. Written by one of the most cited international law scholars in the United States, the book is a resource for lawyers, law students, legal scholars, and judges from around the world.

The Oxford Handbook of the Theory of International Law

The Oxford Handbook of the Theory of International Law PDF Author: Anne Orford
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191005568
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 1094

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Oxford Handbook of International Legal Theory provides an accessible and authoritative guide to the major thinkers, concepts, approaches, and debates that have shaped contemporary international legal theory. The Handbook features 48 original essays by leading international scholars from a wide range of traditions, nationalities, and perspectives, reflecting the richness and diversity of this dynamic field. The collection explores key questions and debates in international legal theory, offers new intellectual histories for the discipline, and provides fresh interpretations of significant historical figures, texts, and theoretical approaches. It provides a much-needed map of the field of international legal theory, and a guide to the main themes and debates that have driven theoretical work in international law. The Handbook will be an indispensable reference work for students, scholars, and practitioners seeking to gain an overview of current theoretical debates about the nature, function, foundations, and future role of international law.

Alternative Visions of the International Law on Foreign Investment

Alternative Visions of the International Law on Foreign Investment PDF Author: C. L. Lim
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107139066
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 531

Get Book Here

Book Description
These essays pay tribute to Muthucumaraswamy Sornarajah's illustrious career and explore alternative visions of international investment law and arbitration.

Consenting to International Law

Consenting to International Law PDF Author: Samantha Besson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1009406450
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 393

Get Book Here

Book Description
Revisits an ancient puzzle in international legal theory, providing contemporary and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Multiple Nationality And International Law

Multiple Nationality And International Law PDF Author: Alfred Michael Boll
Publisher: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
ISBN: 9004148388
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 650

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book is a comprehensive overview of multiple nationality in international law, and contains a survey of current State practice covering over 75 countries. It examines the topic in light of the historical treatment of multiple nationality by States, international bodies and commentators, setting out the general trends in international law and relations that have influenced nationality. While the book's purpose is not to debate the merits of multiple nationality, but to present actual state practice, it does survey arguments for and against multiple nationality, and considers States' motivations in adopting a particular attitude toward the topic. As a reference work, the volume includes a detailed examination of the nature of nationality under international law and the concepts of nationality and citizenship under municipal law. The survey of State practice also constitutes a valuable resource for practitioners.

Netherlands Yearbook of International Law 1997

Netherlands Yearbook of International Law 1997 PDF Author: T. M. C. Asser Instituut
Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.
ISBN: 9041110283
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 478

Get Book Here

Book Description
Contains an extensive review of Dutch state practice from the parliamentary year,1998-1999.

Legal Authority Beyond the State

Legal Authority Beyond the State PDF Author: Patrick Capps
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107190266
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 305

Get Book Here

Book Description
These specially commissioned essays by prominent lawyers and philosophers analyse a range of approaches to legal authority beyond the state.