PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Development, Nature and Scope of International Law ............................................ 4
History .................................................................................................................................. 4
Sources .......................................................................................................................... 6
Treaties ................................................................................................................................. 6
Customary International Law............................................................................................ 7
State practice ..................................................................................................................... 7
Opinio Juris ....................................................................................................................... 7
Persistant Objector ............................................................................................................ 8
Jus Cogens ......................................................................................................................... 9
Interaction between Customary Law and Treaties ............................................................ 9
General Principles ............................................................................................................. 10
Subsidary sources of law (Judicial decisions and Academics)....................................... 11
Soft law ........................................................................................................................... 11
The Law of Treaties ................................................................................................... 12
Defining Treaties ............................................................................................................... 12
Formation of treaties ......................................................................................................... 13
Entry into Force ............................................................................................................... 15
Reservations .................................................................................................................... 15
Third Parties .................................................................................................................... 16
State Succession to Treaties ............................................................................................ 17
Interpretation of treaties .................................................................................................. 19
Invalidity of Treaties ......................................................................................................... 22
Jus Cogens ....................................................................................................................... 23
Procedure for invoking the invalidity of a treaty............................................................. 24
Termination of Treaties .................................................................................................... 24
Relationship between International and Domestic Law ........................................ 28
Municipal Law in International Law .............................................................................. 29
Incorporating international Law on the National Plane................................................ 30
The UK System ............................................................................................................... 31
Treaties In Australia ......................................................................................................... 32
Customary International Law In Australia .................................................................... 34
Personality, Statehood, Self-Determination and Recognition ............................... 37
Statehood ............................................................................................................................ 37
OTHER TERRITORIAL ENTITIES .......................................................................................................... 40
Recognition ........................................................................................................................ 41
Self-Determination ............................................................................................................ 42
INTERNATIONAL LEGAL PERSONALITY ........................................................................................... 45
International Organisations ............................................................................................. 45
Individuals ....................................................................................................................... 46
Other INternational Persons ............................................................................................ 48
1
,Title to Territory ........................................................................................................ 50
Occupation and Prescription............................................................................................ 50
Prescription...................................................................................................................... 54
Conquest and Cession ....................................................................................................... 55
Accretion and Avulsion ..................................................................................................... 55
Ocean Boundaries ............................................................................................................. 56
Territorial sea .................................................................................................................. 56
Continguous Zone ........................................................................................................... 57
Exclusive Economic Zone ............................................................................................... 57
Continental Shelf ............................................................................................................. 58
The High Seas ................................................................................................................. 58
Airspace .............................................................................................................................. 58
The Province of All Mankind ........................................................................................... 58
State Jurisdiction ....................................................................................................... 60
Civil Jurisdiction ............................................................................................................... 60
Criminal Jurisdiction ........................................................................................................ 60
Territoriality ...................................................................................................................... 61
The effects Doctrine ........................................................................................................ 62
Nationality .......................................................................................................................... 64
Passive Personality Principle............................................................................................ 65
Protective principle ........................................................................................................... 66
Universality ........................................................................................................................ 68
Limits of Universality ..................................................................................................... 69
Piracy............................................................................................................................... 70
State Torture .................................................................................................................... 71
War Crimes ..................................................................................................................... 71
Crimes Against Humanity ............................................................................................... 72
Genocide.......................................................................................................................... 72
International Criminal Court ........................................................................................... 73
State Immunity ........................................................................................................... 74
Absolute vs Restrictive ...................................................................................................... 75
Commercial acts .............................................................................................................. 75
Commercial or Sovereign Act? ....................................................................................... 78
FSIA ................................................................................................................................ 81
High Ranking Officials ..................................................................................................... 82
Criminal Jurisdiction ....................................................................................................... 83
Civil Jurisdiction ............................................................................................................. 86
Other OFficials ................................................................................................................ 86
Immunities of International Organisations and Staff .................................................... 87
Diplomatic and Consular Immunities ...................................................................... 89
Diplomatic INviolability ................................................................................................... 90
Limitations on Diplomatic Immunity .............................................................................. 93
State responsibility ..................................................................................................... 95
Breach of An International Obligation ............................................................................ 95
Attribution of conduct....................................................................................................... 98
Para-State Organs ............................................................................................................ 99
Individuals ....................................................................................................................... 99
Effective Control Test ................................................................................................... 101
, Insurrectional Movements ............................................................................................. 104
Adoption of Conduct ..................................................................................................... 105
Circumstances Precluding Wrongfulness ..................................................................... 106
Consequences ................................................................................................................... 108
Enforcement of a Claim .................................................................................................. 110
Diplomatic Protection .............................................................................................. 112
Nationality ........................................................................................................................ 114
Corporations .................................................................................................................. 115
Exhaustion of local remedies .......................................................................................... 117
Treatment of Aliens ......................................................................................................... 119
Use of Force .............................................................................................................. 121
Self Defence Exception .................................................................................................... 123
Armed Attack ................................................................................................................ 123
Necessary and Proportionate ......................................................................................... 125
Anticipatory Self Defence ............................................................................................. 127
Pre-Emptive Strike ........................................................................................................ 127
A right to rescue nationals abroad? ............................................................................... 128
Self Defence and Non-State Actors ................................................................................ 129
Humanitarian Intervention ............................................................................................ 130
Use of Force By Invitation .............................................................................................. 131
Security council Approval .............................................................................................. 132
Threshold....................................................................................................................... 132
Response........................................................................................................................ 133
General Assembly Declarations on Force ..................................................................... 134
Implementation, Enforcement and Accountability............................................... 136
International Court of Justice ........................................................................................ 137
Composition of the Court .............................................................................................. 137
Jurisdiction of the ICJ .................................................................................................... 139
Optional Declaration Clause ......................................................................................... 140
Special Agreement (Compromis) .................................................................................. 142
Compromissory Clause ................................................................................................. 142
Transferred Jurisdiction................................................................................................. 142
Forum Prorogatum........................................................................................................ 142
Absent and INdespensable Third Parties....................................................................... 143
Provisional Measures .................................................................................................... 144
Third Party Intervention ................................................................................................ 145
Advisory Opinion .......................................................................................................... 146
Enforcement and Obligations on States ........................................................................ 147
ICJ and the Security Council ......................................................................................... 147
Judicial Review of Resolutions ..................................................................................... 148
, DEVELOPMENT, NATURE AND SCOPE OF INTERNATIONAL
LAW
International law is ‘a system of rules and principles that govern the
international relations between sovereign states and other institutional
subjects of international law’ Dixon et al 2007
The United Nations Charter states fundamental principles of international law
that all UN members must abide by in Article 2
o The organisation is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its
members
▪ Sovereignty imports the idea of independence that
international law relies on
▪ This is known as a horizontal system of sovereignty
o All members, in order to ensure to all of them the rights and benefits
resulting from membership, shall fulfill in good faith the obligations
assumed by them in accordance with the Charter
o All members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means
in such a manner that international peace and security and justice are not
endangered
o All members shall refrain from the threat or use of force against the
territorial integrity or political independence of any State
o All members shall assist the UN in any actions It takes, and shall refrain
from giving assistance to any state against which the UN is taking
preventive or enforcement action
No state may compel another to submit to judicial settlement of a dispute between
them and no state is bound by an international rule unless it has first consented
o This is reflected in the UN through the voting system, where Iceland has
the same 1 vote as China or the USA.
There is some tension between the sovereignty of every state and the obligations of
human rights – when can one interfere to protect human rights in another state?
Organs of the United Nations include
o The General Assembly – All states have an equal vote, and decisions
require a two thirds majority
▪ Where action is required it must be referred to the security
council
o The Security Council – 5 permanent members, with 15 members
overall. Decision require 9 votes including those of the permanent
members
o International Court of Justice (ICJ) – the principle judicial organ of
international law. All members of the UN are ipso facto parties to the
Statute of the Court.
HISTORY
International law is extremely old, dating back to Kings and empires that
negotiated treaties as early as 3000BC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Development, Nature and Scope of International Law ............................................ 4
History .................................................................................................................................. 4
Sources .......................................................................................................................... 6
Treaties ................................................................................................................................. 6
Customary International Law............................................................................................ 7
State practice ..................................................................................................................... 7
Opinio Juris ....................................................................................................................... 7
Persistant Objector ............................................................................................................ 8
Jus Cogens ......................................................................................................................... 9
Interaction between Customary Law and Treaties ............................................................ 9
General Principles ............................................................................................................. 10
Subsidary sources of law (Judicial decisions and Academics)....................................... 11
Soft law ........................................................................................................................... 11
The Law of Treaties ................................................................................................... 12
Defining Treaties ............................................................................................................... 12
Formation of treaties ......................................................................................................... 13
Entry into Force ............................................................................................................... 15
Reservations .................................................................................................................... 15
Third Parties .................................................................................................................... 16
State Succession to Treaties ............................................................................................ 17
Interpretation of treaties .................................................................................................. 19
Invalidity of Treaties ......................................................................................................... 22
Jus Cogens ....................................................................................................................... 23
Procedure for invoking the invalidity of a treaty............................................................. 24
Termination of Treaties .................................................................................................... 24
Relationship between International and Domestic Law ........................................ 28
Municipal Law in International Law .............................................................................. 29
Incorporating international Law on the National Plane................................................ 30
The UK System ............................................................................................................... 31
Treaties In Australia ......................................................................................................... 32
Customary International Law In Australia .................................................................... 34
Personality, Statehood, Self-Determination and Recognition ............................... 37
Statehood ............................................................................................................................ 37
OTHER TERRITORIAL ENTITIES .......................................................................................................... 40
Recognition ........................................................................................................................ 41
Self-Determination ............................................................................................................ 42
INTERNATIONAL LEGAL PERSONALITY ........................................................................................... 45
International Organisations ............................................................................................. 45
Individuals ....................................................................................................................... 46
Other INternational Persons ............................................................................................ 48
1
,Title to Territory ........................................................................................................ 50
Occupation and Prescription............................................................................................ 50
Prescription...................................................................................................................... 54
Conquest and Cession ....................................................................................................... 55
Accretion and Avulsion ..................................................................................................... 55
Ocean Boundaries ............................................................................................................. 56
Territorial sea .................................................................................................................. 56
Continguous Zone ........................................................................................................... 57
Exclusive Economic Zone ............................................................................................... 57
Continental Shelf ............................................................................................................. 58
The High Seas ................................................................................................................. 58
Airspace .............................................................................................................................. 58
The Province of All Mankind ........................................................................................... 58
State Jurisdiction ....................................................................................................... 60
Civil Jurisdiction ............................................................................................................... 60
Criminal Jurisdiction ........................................................................................................ 60
Territoriality ...................................................................................................................... 61
The effects Doctrine ........................................................................................................ 62
Nationality .......................................................................................................................... 64
Passive Personality Principle............................................................................................ 65
Protective principle ........................................................................................................... 66
Universality ........................................................................................................................ 68
Limits of Universality ..................................................................................................... 69
Piracy............................................................................................................................... 70
State Torture .................................................................................................................... 71
War Crimes ..................................................................................................................... 71
Crimes Against Humanity ............................................................................................... 72
Genocide.......................................................................................................................... 72
International Criminal Court ........................................................................................... 73
State Immunity ........................................................................................................... 74
Absolute vs Restrictive ...................................................................................................... 75
Commercial acts .............................................................................................................. 75
Commercial or Sovereign Act? ....................................................................................... 78
FSIA ................................................................................................................................ 81
High Ranking Officials ..................................................................................................... 82
Criminal Jurisdiction ....................................................................................................... 83
Civil Jurisdiction ............................................................................................................. 86
Other OFficials ................................................................................................................ 86
Immunities of International Organisations and Staff .................................................... 87
Diplomatic and Consular Immunities ...................................................................... 89
Diplomatic INviolability ................................................................................................... 90
Limitations on Diplomatic Immunity .............................................................................. 93
State responsibility ..................................................................................................... 95
Breach of An International Obligation ............................................................................ 95
Attribution of conduct....................................................................................................... 98
Para-State Organs ............................................................................................................ 99
Individuals ....................................................................................................................... 99
Effective Control Test ................................................................................................... 101
, Insurrectional Movements ............................................................................................. 104
Adoption of Conduct ..................................................................................................... 105
Circumstances Precluding Wrongfulness ..................................................................... 106
Consequences ................................................................................................................... 108
Enforcement of a Claim .................................................................................................. 110
Diplomatic Protection .............................................................................................. 112
Nationality ........................................................................................................................ 114
Corporations .................................................................................................................. 115
Exhaustion of local remedies .......................................................................................... 117
Treatment of Aliens ......................................................................................................... 119
Use of Force .............................................................................................................. 121
Self Defence Exception .................................................................................................... 123
Armed Attack ................................................................................................................ 123
Necessary and Proportionate ......................................................................................... 125
Anticipatory Self Defence ............................................................................................. 127
Pre-Emptive Strike ........................................................................................................ 127
A right to rescue nationals abroad? ............................................................................... 128
Self Defence and Non-State Actors ................................................................................ 129
Humanitarian Intervention ............................................................................................ 130
Use of Force By Invitation .............................................................................................. 131
Security council Approval .............................................................................................. 132
Threshold....................................................................................................................... 132
Response........................................................................................................................ 133
General Assembly Declarations on Force ..................................................................... 134
Implementation, Enforcement and Accountability............................................... 136
International Court of Justice ........................................................................................ 137
Composition of the Court .............................................................................................. 137
Jurisdiction of the ICJ .................................................................................................... 139
Optional Declaration Clause ......................................................................................... 140
Special Agreement (Compromis) .................................................................................. 142
Compromissory Clause ................................................................................................. 142
Transferred Jurisdiction................................................................................................. 142
Forum Prorogatum........................................................................................................ 142
Absent and INdespensable Third Parties....................................................................... 143
Provisional Measures .................................................................................................... 144
Third Party Intervention ................................................................................................ 145
Advisory Opinion .......................................................................................................... 146
Enforcement and Obligations on States ........................................................................ 147
ICJ and the Security Council ......................................................................................... 147
Judicial Review of Resolutions ..................................................................................... 148
, DEVELOPMENT, NATURE AND SCOPE OF INTERNATIONAL
LAW
International law is ‘a system of rules and principles that govern the
international relations between sovereign states and other institutional
subjects of international law’ Dixon et al 2007
The United Nations Charter states fundamental principles of international law
that all UN members must abide by in Article 2
o The organisation is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its
members
▪ Sovereignty imports the idea of independence that
international law relies on
▪ This is known as a horizontal system of sovereignty
o All members, in order to ensure to all of them the rights and benefits
resulting from membership, shall fulfill in good faith the obligations
assumed by them in accordance with the Charter
o All members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means
in such a manner that international peace and security and justice are not
endangered
o All members shall refrain from the threat or use of force against the
territorial integrity or political independence of any State
o All members shall assist the UN in any actions It takes, and shall refrain
from giving assistance to any state against which the UN is taking
preventive or enforcement action
No state may compel another to submit to judicial settlement of a dispute between
them and no state is bound by an international rule unless it has first consented
o This is reflected in the UN through the voting system, where Iceland has
the same 1 vote as China or the USA.
There is some tension between the sovereignty of every state and the obligations of
human rights – when can one interfere to protect human rights in another state?
Organs of the United Nations include
o The General Assembly – All states have an equal vote, and decisions
require a two thirds majority
▪ Where action is required it must be referred to the security
council
o The Security Council – 5 permanent members, with 15 members
overall. Decision require 9 votes including those of the permanent
members
o International Court of Justice (ICJ) – the principle judicial organ of
international law. All members of the UN are ipso facto parties to the
Statute of the Court.
HISTORY
International law is extremely old, dating back to Kings and empires that
negotiated treaties as early as 3000BC
