International law, also known as public international law, is a field of law that governs the rules of relations between states.
It was born out of the ancient Greek idea of ‘natural law’ which established alliances and facilitated peace treaties with other world empires. Today, international organisations any other bodies possessing a legal personality are now subject to the legislation related to this legal field.
All these areas fall under the topic:
There are several ways to improve your chances of entering the competitive field of public international law:
International law is commonly divided into public and private. This is for a simple reason: the two have powers over two distinct groups.
Public international law governs rules between states or any other bodies with a legal personality. On the other hand, private international law governs disputes between individuals and is divided into common law and civil law systems.
Sources of public international law consist of treaties, conventions, customs, general principles of law and judicial or scholarly opinions. Sources of private international law are limited to major treaties and important international bodies’ rulings.
However, whenever there is a “conflict of law” between international and national law of the state, a country’s law will usually prevail.
Studying this elective module as a part of your LLB degree means you will cover such topics as peaceful dispute settlement and critical evaluation of the United Nations and International Court of Justice international institutions.
You can also choose to enrol in master’s courses specialising in the subject. Here are some of the top institutions offering this degree at this level:
Below are just a few UK firms with either departments dedicated to the topic, or which specialise in the field.
Here are some recommended textbooks to consult and get more depth and information about studying and building a career in this interesting field.
Name | Author | Price (approximate) |
---|---|---|
International Law (5th edition) | Malcolm Evans | £34 |
Brownlie’s Principles of International Law (8th edition) | James Crawford | £42 |
International Law, 2nd ed. | Jan Klabbers | £10+ |
International Law: A Very Short Introduction | Lowe V | £5 |
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