Public International Law

This course provides an introduction to the conceptual and institutional foundations of public international law.  Students will be introduced to: the main theoretical debates about public international law and its impact on international conduct; the law formation processes (“sources”) of public international law (treaties, custom and the debates about the role of other sources); the concept of international legal personality (the concept of the sovereign state; the evolving role of other international actors, such as international organizations, individuals, corporations and non-governmental organizations); questions of jurisdiction over territory and persons; the relationship between international and domestic law; state and diplomatic immunities; the law of state responsibility; the peaceful settlement of international disputes and the evolving roles of UN organs such as the Security Council and the International Court of Justice; the maintenance of international peace and security, the prohibition on the use of force, self-defence, and the responsibility to protect.