Sources of international law

Collectively the 'sources' of international law constitute that reservoir of authoritative rules and principles to which the international lawyer must refer in order to ascertain the content of the law. An international lawyer must be able to deduce rules of international law in order to substantiate legal opinions supporting particular courses of action. The cogency and consistency of a legal argument will stand or fall depending on the familiarity of the lawyer with these sources of law. It is therefore of the utmost importance that each student understand the nature of these sources and

their interaction with each other and is accustomed to the methodology involved in citing these sources as authority for particular propositions.

Formal and Material Sources of Law

A distinction is frequently made by commentators between formal and material sources of law:

1. Formal sources of law establish constitutional processes and methods
which authorise the creation of binding legal rules which are generally
applicable to the subjects of the legal system.

2. Material sources of law provide evidence of particular or specific rules
of law which, when proven, are applicable to a particular dispute.

A formal source is that from which a rule of law derives its force and validity. A material source is that from which the content, not the validity of the law, is derived. The material source provides the substance of the rule to which the formal source gives force and authority.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) shall apply the following sources of law to any disputes submitted for settlement:

3. International convention whether general or particular, establishing
rules expressly recognised by the contesting states;

2. International custom, as evidence of a general practice accepted as law;

3. The general principles of law recognised by civilised nations;

4. The judicial decisions and the teachings of the most highly qualified
publicists of the various nations, as subsidiary means for the determination
of the rules of law.

Notes

constitute — составлять

authoritative rules and principles - авторитетные права и пршщилы

refer to — ссылаться на что-л.

ascertain — выяснять, устанавливать

content of the law - содержание права

substantiate — обосновать

legal opinion — юридическое решение

cogency — убедительность

constitutional processes - конституционные процедуры

authorise — давать разрешение, уполномочивать

binding legal rules — обязательные юридические правила

applicable — применительный

derive — черпать

recognize — признавать

contesting states — конкурирующие, спорящие государства

judicial decisions - судебные решения

subsidiary means — вспомогательные средства

Упражнения

*4. Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты данных словосочетаний.

A. 1. источники международного права;

2. авторитетные правила;

3. содержание закона;

4. выводить правила (из чего-л.).

5. последовательность;

6. взаимодействие друг с другом.

B. 1. применимый;

2. спор (разногласие);

3. признавать правила;

4. вспомогательное средство.

* 5. Составте словосочетания, используя слова из обеих колонок.

1. refer to a. evidence

2. to deduce b. importance

3. the utmost с principles

4. to establish d. force and validity

5. to provide e. rules

6. to derive f. constitutional processes

Ответьте на вопросы.

1. What are the sources of international law?

2. What is the difference between formal and material sources of law?

3. What are the responsibilities of the International Court of Justice?
Text3

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

Many people, including most politicians and lawyers, thought in 1972 that joining the European Community was not very different from joining many other international organizations (like the United Nations, for example). An ordinary international treaty does not impinge on the sovereignty of Parliament in the legal sense, because the only effect of failure to comply with such a treaty is to put the country in breach of international law. That is no doubt a matter of some seriousness, and indeed the UK government probably treats a breach of international law more seriously than most other governments in the world, but at the same time, it is in a sense less serious than a breach of our own national law. The reason for this is that courts in the UK must observe and apply the law of England (or Scotland, or Northern Ireland as the case may be); every court in the country must do this, so if criminal charges or civil proceedings are brought in England, the court must as a matter of course

apply English law. Equally, any person can bring proceedings in those courts, so if the government acts illegally it can usually be challenged quickly and easily in our own national courts.

There is today widespread discrepancy in use of the terms 'European Community' and 'European Union'. This discrepancy comes from the Treaties themselves. The Community is still the correct legal term for those matters which are subject to the control of the European Court in respect of which the law itself governs the relationships between members. The further matters such as the attempt to have a common foreign policy, and eventually monetary union, are matters in respect of which European Union is correct term.

Notes

the European Community — Европейское Сообщество

impinge on the sovereignty of — посягать на суверенитет

comply with - подчиняться чему-л.

breach of - нарушение

bring proceedings - подать в суд

discrepancy — несоответствие

the European Court - Европейский Суд

govern — управлять, руководить

common foreign policy - общая внешняя политика

monetary union — единая денежная система

Упражнения

*7. Соотнесите слова и словосочетания в левой колонке с их определениями в правой.

1. to impinge a. to obey

2. a breach of b. lack of agreement

3. discrepancy c. total power, self-government

4. to comply with d. breaking of

5. sovereignty e. to affect

* 8. Выразите согласие или несогласие со следующими утверждениями.

1. Joining the European Community was not very different from joining
many other international organizations.

2. An ordinary international treaty does not impinge on the sovereignty
of Parliament in the legal sense.

3. The UK government treats a breach of international law less seriously
than most other governments.

Ответьте на вопросы.

1. What is the difference between joining the European Community and
joining many other international organizations (like the United
Nations, for example)?

2. Why does the UK government treat a breach of international law more
seriously than most other governments in the World?

3. What is the reason for widespread discrepancy in use of the terms
"European Community" and "European Union"?

Text 4

THE COURT OF JUSTICE

The Court of Justice has been one of the most important champions of European integration but has pursued this cause largely out of the public eye. While media and political attention has focused on the Commission of the Council of Ministers the Court has quietly gone about its business, working far away from the political fray in its Luxembourg headquarters.

Its job is to rule on interpretations of the treaties and EU laws, and to ensure that national and European laws and international agreements being considered by the EU meet the terms and the spirit of the treaties. It can rule on the constitutionality of all EU law, gives rulings to national courts in cases where there are questions about the meaning of EU law, and rules in disputes involving EU institutions, member states individuals and corporations. The Court's role has been vital to the development of the EU: without a body of law capable of uniform interpretation and application, the EU would have no authority and its lecisions and polices would be arbitrary and largely meaningless.

Fotes

the European Court of Justice - Европейский Суд (Суд Европейского общества)

European integration — европейская интеграция the Council of Ministers — Совет Министров political fray - политическая драка headquarters — штаб-квартира ensure — обеспечивать meet the terms and the spirit of the treaties — отвечать условиям

и духу договоров rule — постановить

member states — государства-члены (Европейского Союза) body of law — правовая организация uniform interpretation — единообразное толкование arbitrary — произвольный

Упражнения

*10. Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты следующих слов и словосочетаний.

1. европейская интеграция; 2. условия и дух договоров; 3. постановления суда; 4. толкование законов; 5. важное, необходимое для развития чего-л.

*11. Составте словосочетания, используя слова из обеих колонок.

1. champions of a. decisions

2. integrations of b. development

3. arbitrary с integration

4. a body of d. treaties

5. member e. law

6. vital to f. states

Ответьте на вопросы.

1. How can you prove that the Court of Justice has been one of the most
important champions of European integration?