Public International Law (LAW252H1F)

Note: This course satisfies the International/Comparative/Transnational course requirement.

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. In exploring these basic concepts and building blocks of the international legal system, the course will focus as much as possible on concrete examples involving current debates, issues and situations involving public international law.