INTRODUCTION

 TO  LAW  2012-­‐2013                                  ATTY.  SEDFREY  CANDELARIA  

 
HART’S  INTERNATIONAL  LAW     o Other  rules  that  may  give  rise  to  obligations  and  sacrifice  
  of  private  interests  are  supported  by  serious  demands  for  
I. SOURCES  OF  DOUBT   conformity  and  insistent  criticism  of  deviations.  
— Union   of   primary   and   secondary   rules   becomes   the   mean   between   — Certain  provisions  in  municipal  laws  are  necessary,  should  it  not  be  
juristic  extremes.   the  same  for  international  law?  
— There   is   perennial   danger   of   obscuring   the   special   features   which   o Answer   is   found   in   the   elementary   truths   about   human  
distinguish  law  from  other  means  of  social  control   beings   and   their   environment   which   constitute   the  
— Legal  System  à  union  of  rules.   psychological  and  physical  setting  of  municipal  law  
— International  Law  presents  us  with  the  converse  case   o Aggression  between  states  is  unlike  between  individuals  
o International   law   lacks   secondary   rules   of   change   and   o The   threat   of   organized   sanctions   adds   little   to   natural  
adjudication,   and   a   unifying   rule   of   recognition   specifying   deterrents   in   the   international   setting.   In   contrast   to  
sources   of   law   and   providing   general   criteria   for   the   municipalities   where   persons   are   more   or   less   of   equal  
identification  of  its  rules.   strength.  
— 2  Principal  Sources  of  Doubt    
o (1)  Rooted  deep  in  the  conception  of  law  as  fundamentally  a   III. OBLIGATION  AND  SOVEREIGNTY  OF  STATES  
matter   of   orders   backed   by   threats   and   contrasts   the   — Perplexity:  state  which  is  sovereign  may  also  be  bound  by  or  have  an  
character  of  rules  of  international  law  with  those  of  municipal   obligation  under  international  law  
law   — When   “sovereign”   appears   in   jurisprudence,   there   is   a   tendency   to  
o (2)   Springs   from   the   obscure   belief   that   states   are   associate  it  with  the  idea  of  a  person  above  the  law  and  whose  word  
fundamentally   incapable   of   being   the   subjects   of   legal   is  law.  
obligation   and   contrasts   the   character   of   the   subjects   of   — State:  
international  law  with  those  of  municipal  law   o (1)  a  population  inhabiting  a  territory  lives  under  that  form  of  
  ordered   government   provided   by   a   legal   system   with   its  
II. OBLIGATIONS  AND  SANCTIONS   characteristic   structure   of   legislature,   courts   and   primary  
— How  can  international  law  be  binding?  Can  such  rules  as  these  be   rules.  
meaningfully  and  truthfully  said  ever  to  give  rise  to  obligations?   o (2)   the   government   enjoys   a   vaguely   defined   degree   of  
o Stems  from  the  absence  of  a  system  of  centrally  organized   independence.  
sanctions   characteristic   of   municipal   law.   However   to   — There   are   many   diff.   types   and   degrees   of   dependence   between  
argue  that  international  law  isn’t  binding  simply  due  to  the   territorial  units  which  possess  an  ordered  govt.  
lack   of   sanctions   would   tacitly   accept   that   law   is   o These   dependent   relationships   (e.g.   puppet   govt.)   is   not   the  
essentially  an  order  backed  y  threats.   only  form  that  independence  may  be  limited  
o It   is   unreasoned   dogma   to   believe   that   states   must   be  
unlimited  or  can  only  be  limited  by  certain  obligations  

 
RACHELLE  GUTIERREZ  and  ADRIAN  TAN  
INTRODUCTION  TO  LAW  2012-­‐2013                                  ATTY.  SEDFREY  CANDELARIA  
 
— Rules  of  international  law  brings  the  question  of  what  independence   many  of  its  concepts,  methods  and  techniques  are  the  same  as  those  
is  left  to  states.   of  modern  municipal  laws.  
— One  theory:  Voluntarist  or  Theories  of  Auto-­‐Limitation   — Reasons  against  classifying  international  law  as  morality:  
o Analogous  with  “social  contract”   o (1)  States  often  reproach  each  other  for  immoral  conduct  or  
o Attempts   to   reconcile   the   absolute   sovereignty   of   state   with   praise   themselves   or   others   for   living   up   to   the   standard   of  
the  existence  of  binding  rules  of  international  law  by  treating   international  morality  à  they  may  abide  by  international  law,  
all  international  obligations  as  self-­‐imposed   but   it   doesn’t   mean   the   law   itself   is   moral.   With   regard   to  
— 3  arguments  against  voluntarist   moral   pressure,   it   is   an   appeal   to   conscience   that   leads   one  
o (1)   It   fails   to   explain   why   state   can   only   be   bound   by   self-­‐ member   to   change   his   behavior   out   of   guilt.   This   is   not   the  
imposed  obligations.   same   as   with   international   laws;   even   when   moral   appeals  
o (2)  The  argument  that  states  because  of  their  sovereignty  can   are  used,  what  predominate  in  the  arguments  are  references  
only  be  bound  by  rules  which  have  imposed  upon  themselves   to   precedents,   treaties,   and   juristic   writings;   often   there   is   no  
is  incoherent.   mention  of  morality.  
§ Before   treaties   can   be   considered   as   binding,   rules   o (2)   Rules   of   international   law,   unlike   municipal   law,   are  
must   already   exist   providing   that   the   state   is   bound   morally  indifferent  
to  do  whatever  it  undertakes  by  words  to  do.   § A   rule   may   exist   because   it   is   convenient   and  
§ Treaties   are   binding   in   so   far   as   they   are   generally   necessary,  not  because  it  is  moral.  
acknowledged  to  be.   o (3)   A   function   of   law,   unlike   morality   is   to   introduce   elements  
o (3)   There   is   a   claim   that   they   could   be   bound   in   other   ways   to   maximize   certainty   and   predictability   and   to   facilitate   the  
under  a  different  system,  though  no  other  form  of  obligation   proof  or  assessments  of  claims.  
for  states  exists  under  the  present  rules  of  international  law.   o (4)   The   very   idea   of   change   by   human   legislative   fiat   is  
— 2   exceptions   to   the   claim   that   all   international   obligation   arise   from   repugnant   to   the   idea   of   morality,   which   is   perceived   to   be  
the  consent  of  the  party  bound   universally   absolute,   and   which   is   the   basis   for   evaluating  
o (1)  The  case  of  a  new  state   human  actions.  
o (2)   That   of   a   state   acquiring   territory   of   undergoing   some   o (5)  Municipal  and  International  laws  are  parallel  in  the  sense  
other   change   that   allows   it   to   be   qualified   for   rules   which   that  both  systems  rely  on  the  conviction  of  individuals/states  
previously  it  had  not  opportunity  to  observe  or  break   that  there  is  a  moral  obligation  to  obey  the  laws.  
  § It   is   difficult   to   see   why   or   in   what   sense   the   moral  
IV. INTERNATIONAL  LAW  AND  MORALITY   obligation   must   exist   as   a   condition   for   international  
— In   form,   international   law   resembles   such   a   regime   of   primary   rules   law  
even   though   the   content   of   its   often   elaborate   rules   are   very   unlike   § It   may   well   be   that   any   form   of   legal   order   is   at   its  
those   of   a   primitive   society   (thought   by   jurists   as   ‘morality’),   and   healthiest   when   there   is   a   generally   diffused   sense  

 
RACHELLE  GUTIERREZ  and  ADRIAN  TAN  
INTRODUCTION  TO  LAW  2012-­‐2013                                  ATTY.  SEDFREY  CANDELARIA  
 
that   it   is   morally   obligatory   to   conform   to   it,   though  
motivations  may  not  really  be  driven  by  such.  
§ Proof   that   binding   rules   exist   in   society   is   that   they  
are  thought  of,  spoken  of,  and  function  as  such.  
V. ANALOGIES  OF  FORM  AND  CONTENT  
— There   is   a   danger   to   minimize   the   differences   and   exaggerate   the  
similarities  between  international  and  municipal  law.  
— Some  of  the  dubious  analogies  may  be  considered  to  have  been  much  
strengthened   by   the   obligations   found   in   the   UN   Charter,   but   their  
law   enforcement   capacities   have   been   paralyzed   by   the   veto   and  
ideological  divisions  and  alliances  of  the  great  powers.  
— Another   analogy   is   that   both   municipal   and   international   law   must  
possess  a  fundamental  ‘rule  of  recognition’  
o International  law  simply  consists  of  a  set  of  separate  primary  
rules  of  obligation  which  are  not  united  in  this  manner  
o Question   why   such   an   element   is   necessary;   mere   existence  
of  rules  does  not  involve  the  existence  of  such  a  basic  rule.  
— Analogies  are  surely  those  of  function  and  content,  not  form.  
o Function:   revealed   when   we   reflect   on   the   ways   in   which   intl.  
law  differs  from  morality  
o Content:   consist   in   the   range   of   principles,   concepts,   and  
methods  which  are  common  to  both  
— Final  comments:  
o (1)  Analogy  is  one  of  content  not  of  form  
o (2)   In   this   analogy   of   content,   no   other   social   rules   are   so  
close  to  municipal  law  as  those  of  international  law  

 
RACHELLE  GUTIERREZ  and  ADRIAN  TAN