Handbook

International law seeks to order human affairs at the international level. It accordingly covers a vast field, extending to issues such as autonomy or otherwise of peoples and territories, the allocation of resources (land, maritime, air), the preservation of the environment, the regulation of interstate transactions, the resolution of disputes and the maintenance of international peace and security. As the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs of the United Nations notes, international law has become not only an important but an integral part of both the international and the domestic legal orders. The centrality of international law to our everyday lives and, in particular, to our practice as lawyers, cannot now be overstated.This course aims to provide a solid introduction to certain central topics within the overall field of international law. It is designed to stand as an effective 'stand alone' introduction suitable for all students who will enter the legal profession at their national level. It also forms the basis from which further specialisation in the area of international law can proceed.

Main Topics

• Historical and philosophical underpinnings of international law
• Structure of international legal system
• Sources of international law
• The law of treaties
• International personality, statehood and recognition
• Responsibility of States for violations of international law
• Title to territory
• Jurisdiction of States and jurisdictional immunities