First published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

12 The law of the sea.

The international legal system has weathered sweeping changes over the last decade as new participants have emerged. International law-making and law-enforcement processes have become increasingly multi-layered with unprecedented numbers of non-State actors, including individuals, insurgents, multinational corporations and even terrorist groups, being involved. This growth in the importance of non-State actors at the law-making and law-enforcement levels has generated a lot of new scholarly studies on the topic. However, while it remains uncontested that non-State actors are now playing an important role on the international plane, albeit in very different ways, international legal scholarship has remained riddled by controversy regarding the status of these new actors in international law. This collection features contributions by renowned scholars, each of whom focuses on a particular theory or tradition of international law, a region, an institutional regime or a particular subject-matter, and considers how that perspective impacts on our understanding of the role and status of non-State actors. The book takes a critical approach as it seeks to gauge the extent to which each conception and understanding of international law is instrumental in the perception of non-State actors. In doing so the volume provides a wide panorama of all the contemporary legal issues arising in connection with the growing role of non-state actors in international-law making and international law-enforcement processes.

This sixth edition has been completely revised and updated to take account of many new developments. It covers a variety of topics, from diplomatic immunity to human rights, and from recognition of government to war crimes. The author is particularly concerned with the relationship between international law and international politics, and he devotes special attention to such controversial topics as self-determination and the expropriation of foreign-owned property where the conflicting interests and attitudes of different states are most apparent.

"China Mieville's brilliantly original book is an indispensable guide for anyone concerned with international law. It is the most comprehensive scholarly account available of the central theoretical debates about the foundations of international law. It offers a guide for the lay reader into the central texts in the field."--Peter Gowan, Professor, International Relations, London Metropolitan University. Mieville critically examines existing theories of international law and offers a compelling alternative Marxist view. China Mieville, PhD, International Relations, London School of Economics, is an independent researcher and an award-winning novelist. His novel Perdido Street Station won the Arthur C. Clarke Award.

The demise of the former Yugoslavia was brought about by various secessionist movements seeking international recognition of statehood. This book provides a critical analysis from an international law perspective of the break-up of Yugoslavia. Although international recognition was granted to the former Yugoslav republics of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Macedonia, the claims of secessionist movements that sought a revision of existing internal federal borders were rejected. The basis upon which the post-secession international borders were accepted in international law involved novel applications of international law principles of self-determination of peoples and uti possidetis. This book traces the developments of these principles, and the historical development of Yugoslavia's internal borders.

This book explores key innovations in Rwandan law, exploring how the homegrown legal system with the civil law and common law legal systems. The author explores the history of Rwandan law through pre-colonial, to colonial and post-independence periods, examines the homegrown legal and justice approaches, such as Gacaca, Abunzi and Imihigo, introduced in post genocide Rwanda to deal with legal problems that could not be dealt with using the western legal system; and highlights the innovative Rwandan approach to incorporating international law in the domestic legal system. The book also covers the evolution of the Rwandan Constitutional Law and Constitutionalism since independence; the development of family law from a legal system that oppressed women to one that promotes girls and women rights. Finally, the book explores the contribution of common law in the transformation of the organization, jurisdiction and functioning of Rwandan Courts. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of African law, international law and the legal system in Rwanda.

International Law is both an introduction to the subject and a critical consideration of its central themes and debates. The opening chapters of the book explain how international law underpins the international political and economic system by establishing the basic principle of the independence of States, and their right to choose their own political, economic, and cultural systems. Subsequent chapters then focus on considerations that limit national freedom of choice (e.g. human rights, the interconnected global economy, the environment). Through the organizing concepts of territory, sovereignty, and jurisdiction the book shows how international law seeks to achieve an established set of principles according to which the power to make and enforce policies is distributed among States.

This Oxford Handbook examines the sources of international law, how the understanding of sources changed throughout the history of international law; how the main legal theories understood sources; the relationship between sources and the legitimacy of international law; and how sources differ across the various sub-areas of international law.

Akehurst’s Modern Introduction to International Law continues to offer a concise and accessible overview of the concepts, themes and issues central to international law. This fully updated eighth edition encompasses the plethora of recent developments and updates in the field, and includes new dedicated chapters on international human rights, self-determination and international economic relations, an extended history and theory section reflecting the evolution of new and critical approaches in the field and a greater focus on terrorism and international criminal law. New and updated chapters include: Creation and recognition of States Territory Law of the sea Immunities State succession Nationality and individual rights Protection of the environment Settlement of disputes Use of force and armed conflict With a distinctive cross-jurisdictional approach which opens up the discipline to students from all backgrounds, this book will arm the reader with all the tools, methods and concepts they need to fully understand this complex and diverse subject. As such, this is an essential text for students of international law, government and politics, international relations, and a multitude of related subject areas. This textbook is supported by a companion website: www.routledge.com/cw/orakhelashvili.