Handbook

The field of public international law deals with many aspects of the functioning of the international community,  including the relations of States with each other and with international organisations, the treatment by States of their citizens, the allocation of resources (land, maritime and air), the preservation of the environment, the regulation of interstate transactions, the resolution of inter-state disputes and the maintenance of international peace and security. Indeed, the centrality of international law to our everyday lives and, in particular, to our practice as lawyers, cannot now be overstated. This course provides an advanced examination of core topics of international law. Drawing on contemporary events, the course aims to deepen and broaden your understanding of the role of international law in regulating the conduct of diverse actors in the international system. In doing so, the course will facilitate your understanding of the relevance of international law to current political and social developments at both the international and national levels.  

Main Topics

• Theoretical perspectives on the formation and operation of the international legal system;
• Actors and institutions involved in the international legal system
• The sources of international law and the processes of its formation
• The law of treaties
• International legal personality and the creation of States
• Title to territory and the autonomy of people and territories
• The jurisdiction and immunities of States and other international actors
• The responsibility of States for international wrongs
• Resolving international disputes