INTERNATIONAL LAW
—> body of rules and principles that regulates the legal relations and conduct between
states, international organisations, and sometimes the individual
—> either private (if a Dutch citizen is run over by a Turkish driver, which national laws
apply, which courts are competent, etc.)
—> or public (our concentration)
Fundamental principle of int. law:
® sovereign equality of states - e.g. all states have vote at general assembly of UN, no
matter the state power
sovereignty: full right and power of a governing body to govern itself without interference
from outside sources or bodies
- have the sole power of their own behaviour (supreme authority – no authority
higher than the state).
- Int. law regulates state behaviour and relationships, but the states have supreme
authority – conflict.
- States give a bit of their sovereignty to a treaty or certain IO voluntarily.
- prima facie breach of international law: entry into one states territory by the arm
forces of another state without consent.
® Horizontal system - states are considered sovereign and equal (no central gov. to
correct states)
Implications of state sovereignty:
States are sovereign, meaning:
1. No international legislative body to establish what int. law is, instead established
through:
- Treaties
- Customary international law
VOLUNTARILY!!
2. No executive body to enforce rules
3. No court with compulsory jurisdiction (states still need to accept jurisdiction of Court)
Difference between domestic and international law:
Domestic law:
- focuses on issues regarding individuals on a national level
- each state governs issues using its own, specific laws.
International law:
- applicable to each member state of a specific treaty or organisation
- applies to individuals, international organisations, as well as states
Difference between domestic and international law systems:
international law:
- considerably less developed
, - Many matters in international law are still unregulated, therefore are left to the
discretionary of states.
Limited development:
® institutional framework:
- state exercises voluntarism
- no legislative body that creates international law
- no executive body to enforce international law
- no courts have compulsory jurisdiction
® enforcement system
- still dependent on domestic institutions and state
- no executive body to enforce international law, no UN police force to issue compliance
- ICJ relies on states willingness to comply with judgements
- Int. law does not have the elaborate systems such as law making, administration and
judiciary that domestic law has
What makes a state:
Defined territory, permanent population, government with effective authority (don’t need
to be recognised by other states)
Implementing int. law:
® Monist system:
- Doctrine of incorporation
- International law has direct force in national law as international law
- dindividuals can directly invoke the rules of international law in domestic courts
- Advantage: once an international treaty is accepted, it is included directly into the
countries national law, meaning that the process to implement a treaty into a state
system is much faster. In the dualistic system this process takes much longer
® Dualistic approach:
- Doctrine of transformation
- individuals can only invoke international law rules once they have been
transformed into domestic law rules (e.g. by an act of parliament which
transcribes int. law into their constitution)
- advantage: can see a distinction between national law and international law
agreements, making it easier for people to distinguish between the two. Monistic
system distinction is not visible because international law is directly considered
national law
Int. organisations:
Organisations with states as members (IGO)
Attribution of powers: to safeguard sovereign rights of members (only exercise power
granted by the Charter)
- established by states through international agreements.
—> body of rules and principles that regulates the legal relations and conduct between
states, international organisations, and sometimes the individual
—> either private (if a Dutch citizen is run over by a Turkish driver, which national laws
apply, which courts are competent, etc.)
—> or public (our concentration)
Fundamental principle of int. law:
® sovereign equality of states - e.g. all states have vote at general assembly of UN, no
matter the state power
sovereignty: full right and power of a governing body to govern itself without interference
from outside sources or bodies
- have the sole power of their own behaviour (supreme authority – no authority
higher than the state).
- Int. law regulates state behaviour and relationships, but the states have supreme
authority – conflict.
- States give a bit of their sovereignty to a treaty or certain IO voluntarily.
- prima facie breach of international law: entry into one states territory by the arm
forces of another state without consent.
® Horizontal system - states are considered sovereign and equal (no central gov. to
correct states)
Implications of state sovereignty:
States are sovereign, meaning:
1. No international legislative body to establish what int. law is, instead established
through:
- Treaties
- Customary international law
VOLUNTARILY!!
2. No executive body to enforce rules
3. No court with compulsory jurisdiction (states still need to accept jurisdiction of Court)
Difference between domestic and international law:
Domestic law:
- focuses on issues regarding individuals on a national level
- each state governs issues using its own, specific laws.
International law:
- applicable to each member state of a specific treaty or organisation
- applies to individuals, international organisations, as well as states
Difference between domestic and international law systems:
international law:
- considerably less developed
, - Many matters in international law are still unregulated, therefore are left to the
discretionary of states.
Limited development:
® institutional framework:
- state exercises voluntarism
- no legislative body that creates international law
- no executive body to enforce international law
- no courts have compulsory jurisdiction
® enforcement system
- still dependent on domestic institutions and state
- no executive body to enforce international law, no UN police force to issue compliance
- ICJ relies on states willingness to comply with judgements
- Int. law does not have the elaborate systems such as law making, administration and
judiciary that domestic law has
What makes a state:
Defined territory, permanent population, government with effective authority (don’t need
to be recognised by other states)
Implementing int. law:
® Monist system:
- Doctrine of incorporation
- International law has direct force in national law as international law
- dindividuals can directly invoke the rules of international law in domestic courts
- Advantage: once an international treaty is accepted, it is included directly into the
countries national law, meaning that the process to implement a treaty into a state
system is much faster. In the dualistic system this process takes much longer
® Dualistic approach:
- Doctrine of transformation
- individuals can only invoke international law rules once they have been
transformed into domestic law rules (e.g. by an act of parliament which
transcribes int. law into their constitution)
- advantage: can see a distinction between national law and international law
agreements, making it easier for people to distinguish between the two. Monistic
system distinction is not visible because international law is directly considered
national law
Int. organisations:
Organisations with states as members (IGO)
Attribution of powers: to safeguard sovereign rights of members (only exercise power
granted by the Charter)
- established by states through international agreements.
