Foreword 9

1 International law as a legal system 11
   1.1 Key aspects 11
   1.2 Historical background 11
         1.2.1 Key points 11
   1.3 Classification of international law: Coexistence and cooperation 12
   1.4 Approaches in national legal systems: Monism vs. dualism 13

2 Legal sources 15
   2.1 Legal sources in the ICJ Statute 15
   2.2 Conventions 15
   2.3 Customary international law 15
   2.4 Priority regarding conventions and customary international law 16
   2.5 General principles 16
   2.6 Court judgements 17
   2.7 Academic contributions 17
   2.8 Other sources 17
   2.9 Priority of the legal sources 17
   2.10 Soft law 18

3 Treaty-law 19
   3.1 Definition of a treaty 19
   3.2 Competence regarding conclusion of treaties 19
   3.3 Consent as the basis of treaties 20
   3.4 Intermediate period 21
   3.5 Treaty invalidity 21
   3.6 Reservations 22
   3.7 Interpreting the treaty 24
   3.8 Amendments 24
   3.9 Terminating and withdrawing the treaty 25

4 Actors 27
   4.1 Legal personality 27
   4.2 States 27
         4.2.1 State recognition 27
         4.2.2 The criteria from the Montevideo Convention 28
         4.2.3 Principle of self-determination 28
         4.2.4 Acquisition of territory 29
         4.2.5 Succession 30
         4.2.6 Extinction 30
   4.3 International organisations 30
   4.4 Individuals 30
   4.5 Other actors 31

5 State jurisdiction 33
   5.1 Types of jurisdictions 33
   5.2 Prescriptive jurisdiction 33
         5.2.1 Definition and principles 33
         5.2.2 Jurisdiction based on territory 33
         5.2.3 Jurisdiction based on the active personality principle 34
         5.2.4 Jurisdiction based on the passive personality principle 34
         5.2.5 Jurisdiction based on the protective principle 34
         5.2.6 Jurisdiction based on the universal principle 35
         5.2.7 Conflicting jurisdictions 35
   5.3 Enforcement jurisdiction 35

6 Immunity 37
   6.1 Immunity of states 37
         6.1.1 Regulation 37
         6.1.2 Sovereign vs. commercial acts 37
         6.1.3 Enforcement immunity 38
   6.2 Immunity of state representatives 39
         6.2.1 Personal and functional immunity 39
         6.2.2 State representatives with high-ranking status 39
         6.2.3 Other state representatives 40
   6.3 Immunity of diplomats 40
         6.3.1 Diplomats 40
         6.3.2 Diplomatic agents 41
         6.3.3 Other protection 42
         6.3.4 Compliance with host state laws 43
         6.3.5 Immunity of consular representation 43
         6.3.6 Immunity of special missions 44

7 Responsibility of the state 45
   7.1 Elements of state responsibility 45
   7.2 Attributability to the state 45
         7.2.1 Acts of states 45
         7.2.2 Acts of individuals 46
         7.2.3 Acts of insurrectional movements 47
         7.2.4 Acts of other states 47
   7.3 Justifying non-compliance 47
         7.3.1 Special situations in the ARSIWA 47
         7.3.2 Interrelation of the ARSIWA article 20-25 with article 26 48
         7.3.3 Countermeasures of lawful character 48
   7.4 Consequences of international responsibility 49
   7.5 Those entitled to invoke breaches 50
         7.5.1 The injured state 50
   7.6 Diplomatic protection 50
   7.7 Acts of international organisations 51

8 Law of the sea 53
   8.1 Overview and regulation 53
   8.2 Maritime zones 54
         8.2.1 Purpose 54
         8.2.2 Baselines 54
         8.2.3 Internal waters 55
         8.2.4 Territorial sea 56
         8.2.5 The contiguous zone 57
         8.2.6 The exclusive economic zone (EEZ) 58
         8.2.7 The continental shelf 58
         8.2.8 The Area 59
         8.2.9 The high seas 60
         8.2.10 Overlapping maritime zones 60
   8.3 Universal jurisdiction over piracy 61
   8.4 Fishing 61
   8.5 Options for dispute resolution 62

9 Dispute settlement 63
   9.1 Peaceful resolution 63
   9.2 Non-judicial means 63
   9.3 Arbitration 64
   9.4 ICJ 65
         9.4.1 Functions, access, and consent 65
         9.4.2 Provisional measures 66
         9.4.3 Court rulings final character 66
         9.4.4 Advisory opinions 66

10 Use of force 67
   10.1 Jus ad bellum and jus in bello 67
   10.2 Prohibition in the UN Charter 67
   10.3 The Security Council 67
   10.4 Self-defence 68
         10.4.1 Definition 68
         10.4.2 Initiation 69
         10.4.3 Necessity 69
         10.4.4 Proportionality 70
         10.4.5 Collective self-defence 70
         10.4.6 The Security Council 70
   10.5 Debated situations 71
         10.5.1 Own nationals 71
         10.5.2 Nationals of other states 71

11 Armed conflict (humanitarian law) 73
   11.1 Definition and sources 73
   11.2 International, non-international and transnational armed conflicts 73
   11.3 Distinction between combatants and civilians 74
         11.3.1 Combatants 74
         11.3.2 Civilians 76
   11.4 Principle of distinction 76
   11.5 Prohibition on causing unnecessary suffering 77
   11.6 Belligerent occupation 77
   11.7 Impact of human rights law 78

12 International criminal law 79
   12.1 Definition and regulation 79
   12.2 The International Criminal Court 79
   12.3 Crimes 80
         12.3.1 Elements 80
         12.3.2 Genocide 80
         12.3.3 Crimes against humanity 80
         12.3.4 War crimes 81
         12.3.5 Aggression 81
   12.4 Criminal liability 81
   12.5 Guarantees in criminal proceedings 83

Definitions 85

Relevant cases 86

Index of keywords 87