B.A.,LL.B.

October-December 2019

PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW

COURSE PLAN
Objective of the Course
 To educate students about the international trends
prevailing in international society and what
international law is, its history and future, the
purposes it serves, its interpretation and
application, and its relationship with domestic
law (s).
The students will learn (Outcome)-
 How public international law developed over period of time to place the
current international situation in its historical context;
 the relevance of public international law’s socio-political context and history
to its nature and function through a range of theoretical approaches to and
understandings of these;
 the methods and processes by which public international law is made by
identifying, interpreting and applying international legal rules and principles;
 the relationship between international law and the domestic law of the
countries and selected comparator jurisdictions and how each treats and
apply the other;
 the international legal rules concerning treaties and their application to
factual scenarios.
UNIT I

1. Introduction-History, Theory and Purpose

-Ancient period
-Ancient period –trade
–trade ,, slavery,
slavery, empire,
empire, war;
war; decolonization;
decolonization; uti
uti possidetis
possidetis etc.
etc.
-natural law
-natural law or
or positive
positive law
law
-jus gentium
-jus gentium oror jus
jus civile
civile
-treaty of
-treaty of Versailles
Versailles 1919
1919
-the U
-the UN N
-liberalist/marxist/critical legal
-liberalist/marxist/critical legal theory
theory

2. Definition, nature and scope

-- L.Oppenheim; J.L.Brierly;
L.Oppenheim; J.L.Brierly; Philip
Philip C
C Jessup;
Jessup; Hans
Hans Kelsen;
Kelsen; G
G Fenwick
Fenwick &
& JJ G
G Starke
Starke
and other
and other
-Paquete
Paquete Habana
Habana Case,
Case, 1900
1900

-Whether
Whether law
law or
or not
not
-Hugo Grotius
-Hugo Grotius –– De
De Jure
Jure Belli
Belli ac
ac Pacis
Pacis Libri
Libri Tres-
Tres- Law
Law of
of Nations
Nations
UNIT II

3.International law-making-: sources of international law-

Art 38
Art 38 of
of Statute
Statute of
of ICJ
ICJ
a)
a) Treaties
Treaties
b)
b) Customs
Customs
c)
c) General
General principles
principles of
of law
law recognized
recognized by
by civilized
civilized nations
nations
Art
Art 59-judicial
59-judicial Decisions
Decisions
North
North Sea
Sea Continental
Continental Shelf
Shelf Case(s)
Case(s)
Lotus
Lotus Case-France
Case-France vs vs Turkey,
Turkey, 1927,
1927, PCIJ
PCIJ
Asylum
Asylum Case-Columbia
Case-Columbia vs vs Peru,
Peru, 1950,ICJ
1950,ICJ
Military
Military Activities
Activities in
in and
and against
against Nicaragua,
Nicaragua, 1986,ICJ
1986,ICJ
Nuclear Test
Nuclear Test Case(s)-Australia
Case(s)-Australia vsvs France;
France; New
New Zealand
Zealand vs
vs France,
France, 1974;
1974; ICJ
ICJ

4. The relationship between international and national law

-Monism
-Dualism
-
UNIT III

5. The subjects of international law: state

-legal
legal personality
personality of
of state
state
Case-Austro-German Customs
Case-Austro-German Customs Union
Union Case
Case [1931]
[1931] Advisory
Advisory Opinion,
Opinion, PCIJ
PCIJ
-Elements of
-Elements of state
state under
under Montevideo
Montevideo Convention
Convention on
on the
the Rights
Rights and
and Duties
Duties of
of the
the States,
States, 1933
1933
Theory of
--Theory of recognition
recognition
--Disintegration
Disintegration of
of Yugoslavia,
Yugoslavia, 1991
1991
--Tinoco
Tinoco Arbitration:
Arbitration: Great
Great Britain
Britain vs
vs Costa
Costa Rica,
Rica, 1923
1923

-Island
Island of
of Palmas
Palmas Case-
Case- Netherlands
Netherlands vs
vs US,
US, 1928
1928

6. Other subjects of international law: non-state actors and

international law’s evolution
-Art. 104
-Art. 104 of
of the
the U
UNN Charter
Charter
-International Organisations-such
-International Organisations-such as
as the
the UN-reparation
UN-reparation case,
case, 1949(ICJ)
1949(ICJ)
-Namibia Case,
-Namibia Case, 1970
1970
UNIT IV

7.
7. Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction privileges
privileges and
and immunities 
immunities 
-Territorial
-Territorial Sovereignty;-Territory-Land;
Sovereignty;-Territory-Land; Sea Sea and
andAir
Air
-Western
-Western Sahara
Sahara Case
Case (1975)
(1975) ICJ
ICJAdvisory
Advisory opinion
opinion
-Island
-Island of
of Palmas
Palmas Case
Case (1928)
(1928) the
the Netherland
Netherland vs vs US
US RIAA
RIAA
-Subjective
-Subjective and
and Objective
ObjectiveTerritorial
Territorial Principles
Principles
-Legal
-Legal Status
Status of
of Eastern
Eastern Greenland
Greenland Case-
Case- Denmark
Denmark vs vs Norway
Norway (1933)
(1933) PCIJ
PCIJ
Thailand
Thailand vsvs Cambodia
Cambodia casecase ((Temple
Temple ofof Preah
PreahVihar)
Vihar)
-Criminal
-Criminal Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction in
in International
International Law
Law
-Legal
-Legal consequences
consequences of of the
the construction
construction ofof aa wall
wall in
in occupied
occupied Palestinian
Palestinian territory
territory
-Over
-Over persons-
persons-
-Lotus
-Lotus Case-
Case- France
France vs
vsTurkey
Turkey (1927)
(1927) PCIJ
PCIJ

88 .. State
State responsibility
responsibility
-Original
-Original and
and vicarious
vicarious responsibility
responsibility
-Notion
-Notion of
of Imputability
Imputability
-Calvo
-Calvo Doctrine
Doctrine
-ILC
-ILC Draft
DraftArticles
Articles on
on Responsibility
Responsibility of
of States
States for
for Internationally
InternationallyWrongful
WrongfulActs
Acts (2001)
(2001)
UNIT V

9. International law and the use of force

 -Art
Art 22 (4)
(4) U
UNN Charter
Charter 1945
1945
-Art
-Art 22 (7)
(7) non
non intervention
intervention
-Declaration on
-Declaration on Principles
Principles of
of International
International Law
Law Concerning
Concerning Friendly
Friendly relations
relations and
and Cooperation
Cooperation among
among states
states in
in
Accordance
Accordance with with the
the Charter
Charter of
of UUNN (UNGA
(UNGA ResRes No
No 2625
2625 XXV)
XXV)
-Miliatry
-Miliatry activities
activities in
in and
and against
against Nicaragua,
Nicaragua, ICJ
ICJ 1986
1986
-Aggression
-Aggression andand Armed
Armed Attack
Attack
-Art
-Art 51
51 of
of the
the U
UN N charter
charter
10. Pacific resolution of disputes
-General
General instruments
instruments
-institutions
-institutions and
and procedural
procedural rules
rules
-Arbitration
-Arbitration
-Negotiation
-Negotiation
-Mediation
-Mediation
-Conciliation
-Conciliation
Suggested Readings
1. Malcom N Shaw, International Law, (Cambridge
University Press)
2. Antonio Cassese, International Law, (Oxford
University Press)
3. Ian Brownlie, Principles of Public International Law,
(Oxford University Press)
4. D J Harris, Cases and Materials on International Law
4. https//www.icj-cij.org
5.https//www.un.org
CONVENTIONS

 UN Charter, 1945
 Montevideo Conventions on Right and Duties of
States, 1933
 Vienna Convention on Law of Treaties, 1969
 Continental Shelf Convention, 1958