International Law: Background Sources

This title is a compilation of materials designed to bridge the gap between the disciplines of international law and international relations. It could be used as a companion to case books for a course in international law, as a reader in an advanced seminar in international law, or in a political science class on international relations of globalization.

The classic ninth edition of this essential reference work on international law is now available from Oxford University Press. It takes full account of the vast increase in the scope and content of international law since the last edition, and in the range of available source material.

This fully-updated second edition provides a comprehensive survey of public international law, with useful references throughout to current events, classic and contemporary cases and scholarship. It is designed as a stand-alone text or as a complement to all the major casebooks on the topic. The first section of the book addresses the fundamental structure, actors, and history of international law; the second section focuses on the interface of international law and national law; and the final section covers key subject matter areas: human rights, the law of the sea, international environmental law, international criminal law, and the use of force.

This is the eighth edition of Sir Ian Brownlie's classic distillation of public international law. Serving as a single volume introduction to the field as a whole, the book seeks to present international law as a system that is based on, and helps structure, relations among states and other entities at the international level. It aims to identify the constituent elements of that system in a clear and accessible fashion. This eighth edition, fully updated by James Crawford, Whewell Professor of International Law at the University of Cambridge, continues to provide the balance, clarity and expertise expected from this classic text. Completely updated to take account of the many areas of expansion and development in international law which have occurred since earlier editions, all chapters have been reviewed and brought up to date. The eighth edition features a new introduction and the chapters on environmental law, immunities, responsibility, use of force and high seas freedoms have been substantially rewritten. It remains an important textbook for students, undergraduate and graduate, treating core issues from a lawyer's perspective. It is also a vade mecum for practitioners desiring a solid footing on which to make further enquiries.

To the new student of international law, the subject can appear extremely complex: a system of laws created by states, international courts and tribunals operating at the national and global level. A clear guide to the subject is essential to ensure understanding. This handbook provides exactly that: written by an expert who both teaches and practises in the field, it focuses on what the law is; how it is created; and how it is applied to solve day-to-day problems. It offers a practical approach to the subject, giving it relevance and immediacy. The new edition retains a concise, user-friendly format allowing central principles such as jurisdiction and the law of treaties to be understood. In addition, it explores more specialised topics such as human rights, terrorism and the environment. This handbook is the ideal introduction for students new to international law.

International Law is both an introduction to the subject and a critical consideration of its central themes and debates. The opening chapters of the book explain how international law underpins the international political and economic system by establishing the basic principle of the independence of States, and their right to choose their own political, economic, and cultural systems. Subsequent chapters then focus on considerations that limit national freedom of choice (e.g. human rights, the interconnected global economy, the environment). Through the organizing concepts of territory, sovereignty, and jurisdiction the book shows how international law seeks to achieve an established set of principles according to which the power to make and enforce policies is distributed among States.