International Law: Cases and Materials fills the gap in current international law casebooks by introducing students to all relevant international materials together with materials most relevant to Australian international lawyers. While international in scope, the text provides a sustained focus on Australia’s place in the international community and Australian perspectives on international legal affairs.
The text opens with two fundamental chapters that introduce students to the basic nature of the international legal system and serve as building blocks for the rest of the book. The coverage of the first chapter includes an introduction to fundamental concepts, state and non-state actors, the criteria for statehood and the role of recognition, jurisdiction and immunity, and the principles concerning acquisition of state territory. The second chapter opens with the settlement of international disputes in order to subsequently highlight, in context, the sources of international law and the principles of state responsibility. Having thus laid the groundwork, the law of treaties and the relationship between international and domestic law are then examined in separate chapters. Finally, four more specialised areas of law are covered in depth: the use of force, international trade law, the protection of human rights, and international environmental law.
This book takes a more integrated approach to international law than other texts. The authors have taken the best from both international and Australian writings to complement the primary materials that are included in the text. The extensive use of contextual material and clear and concise commentary, linked together by critical analysis, case studies, notes, and problems, provokes thought and discussion and provides a solid basis for an understanding of international law.