The Politics Of International Law

Today international law is everywhere. Wars are fought and opposed in its name. It is invoked to claim rights and to challenge them, to indict or support political leaders, to distribute resources and to expand or limit the powers of domestic and international institutions. International law is part of the way political (and economic) power is used, critiqued, and sometimes limited. Despite its claim for neutrality and impartiality, it is implicit in what is just, as well as what is unjust in the world. To understand its operation requires shedding its ideological spell and examining it with a cold eye. Who are its winners, and who are its losers? How - if at all - can it be used to make a better or a less unjust world? In this collection of essays Professor Martti Koskenniemi, a well-known practitioner and a leading theorist and historian of international law, examines the recent debates on humanitarian intervention, collective security, protection of human rights and the 'fight against impunity' and reflects on the use of the professional techniques of international law to intervene politically. The essays both illustrate and expand his influential theory of the role of international law in international politics. The book is prefaced with an introduction by Professor Emmanuelle Jouannet (Sorbonne Law School), which locates the texts in the overall thought and work of Martti Koskenniemi.

The Politics of International Law offers an introduction to the role of law in contemporary international affairs. Through a case study-driven analysis of topics such as human rights, the use of force, international environmental law, international trade law, international criminal justice and the right to self-determination, the book explains the interaction between law and politics in the world today, demonstrating that one cannot be understood withoutthe other.The book is divided into two parts. Part I introduces contemporary international law with a focus on constitutive legal principles such as sovereignty, territorial integrity and the legal equality of states. Through these introductory chapters, students are encouraged to take a holistic view of the processes and actors that drive international affairs, and explore the fascinating paradox that while international law is largely created through political processes, it also constitutes theenvironment in which international politics is practiced.Part II builds on the foundations laid in Part I to analyze contemporary controversies in international law and politics. Chapters focus on a number of substantive issue areas, including international environmental law, international economic law, human rights law, self-determination and secession, the law governing the use of force, and international criminal justice.This book is written to impart on readers a deepened understanding of both the possibilities and limits of international law as a tool for structuring relations in the world.Digital Formats and ResourcesAlso available as an e-book with functionality, navigation features, and links that offer extra learning support

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