From the UK government's Brexit Bill, to China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, violations of international law have made headlines across the world in recent years. This book offers a comprehensive and accessible guide to the essential rules and facts of international law, explaining what international law is and how it shapes the world around us.

Graham and Noortmann provide specific examples to contextualise key concepts in international law, directing readers to a range of further sources to supplement their reading. Topics range from the place of international law in the national legal order, the United Nations and other global international organisations, international human rights, and international environmental law.

An essential quick reference text for students and practitioners of international law.

I Introduction
1 Definition of public international law
2 The legal nature of public international law
3 Historical developments
4 Natural law and positivism
5 Alternative approaches
6 Sub-areas of international law
7 Adjacent legal fields
8 The nation state and international law

II The place of international law in the national legal order
9 Direct effect
10 Monism and dualism
11 Monism and dualism in practice
12 Rules of international law having direct or indirect effect
13 National government bodies and international law

III Subjects of international law
14 International legal personality
15 Forms of international legal personality
16 States
17 Recognition
18 Intergovernmental organisations
19 Liberation movements
20 New forms of international legal personality

IV Sources of public international law
21 The sources of international law
22 Treaties
23 Customary International Law
24 Decisions of international organisations
25 Other sources of law
26 The relationship between international sources of law and legal rules

V Treaty law
27 Sources of treaty law
28 The entry into force of treaties
29 Reservations
30 Interpretation of treaties
31 The validity and effect of treaties
32 State succession
33 National law and the entry into force of treaties

VI Jurisdiction
34 Definition of jurisdiction
35 Territorial jurisdiction
36 Functional jurisdiction
37 Areas outside national jurisdiction
38 Demarcation of boundaries
39 Personal jurisdiction
40 Principles of criminal jurisdiction
41 National jurisdiction
42 Extradition
43 Domestic nationality law

VII Immunities
44 Limitation of territorial jurisdiction
45 State immunity
46 Derived immunities
47 Diplomatic immunities

VIII State responsibility
48 State responsibility
49 International wrongful acts
50 Circumstances precluding wrongfulness
51 Cessation and compliance
52 Diplomatic protection

IX Settlement of disputes
53 General and special rules
54 Diplomatic methods
55 International arbitration
56 The International Court of Justice
57 The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
58 The panel procedures of the World Trade Organization
59 The Inspection Panel of the World Bank

X The enforcement of international law
60 Characteristics of the enforcement of international law
61 Retorsion
62 Reprisals
63 Collective measures

XI Peace and security
64 The prohibition of (armed) force
65 Exceptions to the prohibition on (armed) force
66 UN peace operations
67 International humanitarian law
68 The International Committee of the Red Cross

XII The law of international organisations
69 Development of international organisations
70 Classification of international organisations
71 Membership of international organisations
72 Structure of international organisations
73 Powers of international organisations
74 Decision-making procedures of international organisations
75 Rules of procedure of international organisations
76 Budgetary affairs of international organisations
77 Immunities and privileges of international organisations
78 Responsibility of international organisations

XIII The United Nations
79 Foundation and development
80 Objectives and principles
81 UN organs
82 Relations between the different UN bodies
83 Powers and functions of UN agencies
84 The voting procedures in the UN
85 Immunities and privileges of the UN
86 The responsibility of the United Nations
87 The UN and the development of international law

XIV Other global international organisations
88 Comparison with the United Nations
89 The International Labour Organization
90 The World Health Organization
91 The International Civil Aviation Organization
92 The International Maritime Organization

XV Regional intergovernmental organisations
93 The Organization of American States
94 The European Union
95 The African Union
96 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
97 Other regional intergovernmental organisations

XVI International human rights
98 Recognition and development
99 Categories of human rights
100 International human rights instruments
101 Implementation and enforcement mechanisms in international human rights treaties
102 Monitoring mechanisms
103 Regional human rights instruments

XVII International criminal law
104 Development and character of international criminal law
105 International criminal responsibility
106 Prosecution and punishment of international crimes by national authorities
107 International crimes in domestic criminal law
108 International criminal courts and tribunals
109 The International Criminal Court
110 ICC procedure
111 Cross-border organised crime
112 Terrorism
113 International organisations for combating crime

XVIII International economic law
114 The development of international economic law
115 The World Trade Organization
116 The International Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
117 International monetary organisations
118 Regional economic organisations and agreements
119 Development cooperation

XIX International environmental law
120 The internationalisation of environmental law
121 Principles of environmental law
122 UN conferences
123 Institutionalisation
124 Environmental treaties

List of consulted literature
Index

Authors

Math Noortmann is a Senior Researcher in the Faculty of Law at Maastricht University and Emeritus Professor at Coventry University

Luke D. Graham is a Lecturer in Public Law and Human Rights in the University of Manchester Law School