Introduction to International Law 10-IIL-w-Erasm

This course introduces the students to the basic principles of modern public international law. It provides an overview of the historical and theoretical context within which that law has developed and discusses the functions which international law performs.

Week 1 The nature and development of international law
Week 2 Sources of international Law: custom, treaties, equity, judicial decisions, unilateral acts, resolutions and decisions of international organizations, writers and other possible sources of International Law
Week 3 The subjects of international law: Legal personality
Week 4 States: creation of statehood, self determination and the criteria of statehood, recognition, extinction of statehood, the fundamental rights of states, independence, condominium and international territories, state responsibility…
Week 5 Special cases: the Holy See and the Vatican City, the Sovereign of Malta, National liberation movement, Transnational corporation…
Week 6 International organizations: the acquisition, nature and consequences of legal personality- some remarks
Week 7 Individuals: international criminal responsibility
Week 8 Recognition: recognition of states, recognition of governments, de facto and de jure recognition, premature recognition, implied recognition, conditional recognition, collective recognition, withdrawal of recognition, non-recognition, the legal effects of recognition
Week 9 Territory: the concept of territory in international law, territorial sovereignty, new states and title to territory, the acquisition of additional territory, the doctrine of uti possidetis iuris…
Week 10 Air law and space law
Week 11 The law of the sea
Week 12 Peaceful settlement of disputes between States: Diplomatic means, inter-state courts and tribunals.
Week 13 Diplomatic law: the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961, Consular privileges and immunities: the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963
Week 14 Law of treaties
Week 15 Collective security and self-defence