Fighting For International Justice: Public International Law
An Introduction to Public International Law
There has never been a more exciting time to study Public International Law (PIL). Issues of international law and international justice are at the forefront of public debates to a greater degree than ever before. International law provides the intellectual and the technical underpinnings to large areas of international co-operation, including:
The prosecution of war crimes (both internationally and nationally);
the legality of the use of force against States (e.g. Syria and Iraq);
the settlement of disputes between States;
environmental protection;
the scope of human rights protection;
protection of foreign investment in States
the economic effects of globalisation promoted through the work of institutions such
as the World Trade Organization;and the resolution of jurisdictional conflicts arising in the context of economic
regulation by States.
PIL today not only impacts and shapes decisions by States to a greater degree than ever before, but it also penetrates into the national legal order – often through national court decisions – to give rights to individuals and corporations, to an extent that is unrivalled in the history of the subject. These developments have in turn led to the growth of lawyers and law firms who specialise in the practice of PIL. This is in addition to the demand for PIL lawyers in governments, inter-governmental organizations (such as the United Nations and the large number of UN Specialized Agencies), and non-governmental organizations. For those who do not intend to follow a career in international law, the subject provides a broad
sweep of issues which illuminate not merely questions of international law but the problems
and processes of the world of diplomacy.
Duration: Suggested 1-2 hours, dependent on the level of detail desired.
An Introduction to Public International Law
There has never been a more exciting time to study Public International Law (PIL). Issues of international law and international justice are at the forefront of public debates to a greater degree than ever before. International law provides the intellectual and the technical underpinnings to large areas of international co-operation, including:
The prosecution of war crimes (both internationally and nationally);
the legality of the use of force against States (e.g. Syria and Iraq);
the settlement of disputes between States;
environmental protection;
the scope of human rights protection;
protection of foreign investment in States
the economic effects of globalisation promoted through the work of institutions such
as the World Trade Organization;and the resolution of jurisdictional conflicts arising in the context of economic
regulation by States.
PIL today not only impacts and shapes decisions by States to a greater degree than ever before, but it also penetrates into the national legal order – often through national court decisions – to give rights to individuals and corporations, to an extent that is unrivalled in the history of the subject. These developments have in turn led to the growth of lawyers and law firms who specialise in the practice of PIL. This is in addition to the demand for PIL lawyers in governments, inter-governmental organizations (such as the United Nations and the large number of UN Specialized Agencies), and non-governmental organizations. For those who do not intend to follow a career in international law, the subject provides a broad
sweep of issues which illuminate not merely questions of international law but the problems
and processes of the world of diplomacy.
Duration: Suggested 1-2 hours, dependent on the level of detail desired.
An Introduction to Public International Law
There has never been a more exciting time to study Public International Law (PIL). Issues of international law and international justice are at the forefront of public debates to a greater degree than ever before. International law provides the intellectual and the technical underpinnings to large areas of international co-operation, including:
The prosecution of war crimes (both internationally and nationally);
the legality of the use of force against States (e.g. Syria and Iraq);
the settlement of disputes between States;
environmental protection;
the scope of human rights protection;
protection of foreign investment in States
the economic effects of globalisation promoted through the work of institutions such
as the World Trade Organization;and the resolution of jurisdictional conflicts arising in the context of economic
regulation by States.
PIL today not only impacts and shapes decisions by States to a greater degree than ever before, but it also penetrates into the national legal order – often through national court decisions – to give rights to individuals and corporations, to an extent that is unrivalled in the history of the subject. These developments have in turn led to the growth of lawyers and law firms who specialise in the practice of PIL. This is in addition to the demand for PIL lawyers in governments, inter-governmental organizations (such as the United Nations and the large number of UN Specialized Agencies), and non-governmental organizations. For those who do not intend to follow a career in international law, the subject provides a broad
sweep of issues which illuminate not merely questions of international law but the problems
and processes of the world of diplomacy.
Duration: Suggested 1-2 hours, dependent on the level of detail desired.