 Name.

: Aqib Hussain
 Roll No. : BL-0813
 Subject. : Public International Law

Student Profile  Topic. : Introduction to Public

 International Law
  Public International Law is composed of the laws, rules, and
principles of general application that deal with the conduct of
nation states and international organizations among themselves
as well as the relationships between nation states and
international organizations with persons, whether natural or
juridical. Public International Law is sometimes called the “law
of nations” or just simply International Law. It should not be

Introduction confused with Private International Law, which is primarily

concerned with the resolution of conflict of laws in the
international setting, determining the law of which country is
applicable to specific situations. In researching this field of law
the researcher must also be aware of Comparative Law, the
study of differences and similarities between the laws of
different countries. Comparative Law is the study of the
different legal systems in existence in the world.
  Generally speaking, the representatives of nation states are the
primary players in the creation of public international law. These
representatives of the nation states include not only the heads of
state, such as Presidents, Prime Ministers or Kings but also the
bureaucratic bodies involved in foreign policy e.g.: State
Departments, Foreign Ministries, or the military. Inter-
Governmental Organizations (IGOs), such as the United Nations

Major Players or the European Union, have also developed as primary for a for
the creation of public international law through the codification
of customary law by way of international treaties. The University
of South Carolina School Of Library and Information Science
maintains a comprehensive list of IGO websites. These IGO
websites offer a vast array of information on how IGOs work
and, in most cases, act as archives where organization documents
and materials are stored.
  The Charter of the United Nations is the establishing document for the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) as the principal judicial organ of the UN.
Article 38(1) of the Statute of the International Court of Justice (the Statute),
the treaty establishing the ICJ, lists the sources that the ICJ uses to resolve
disputes. The sources listed in Article 38(1) include treaties, customary law,
case law, academic writings, and general principles of law.

Sources of  Subject Oriented Organizations

Public  They are organized in different ways with varying amounts of power and
structures. They are the result of treaties and sometimes serve to coordinate
International additional treaties in the same subject area. Most of them produce some
sort of legislation-like materials and have a form of representative body.
Law. Some have adjudicative bodies with of limited jurisdiction but all produce
documents such as treaties, records, regulations and decisions. The UN does
not coordinate the publishing or distribution of these documents which can
become a challenge for the researcher. However, the UN maintains an
Official Locator for UN Systems Organizations which makes finding some
of these documents a little easier.
  In the field of international law, customary law refers to the Law of
Nations. The Law of Nations is composed of the legal norms that
have developed through the interactions between states over a
period of time. The concept implies that states are expected to carry
out their affairs consistently with past accepted conduct. Customary
law can change based on the acceptance or rejection by states of
particular acts. Norms that achieve universal acceptance can
become peremptory norms that cannot be violated or changed
Customary law. except by a norm of comparable strength. Many international
treaties are attempts to codify existing customary law.
 To find customary law, start by searching for relevant texts and
treatises, law review articles, and judicial decisions from national
and international tribunals. Statements made in landmark
resolutions and declarations of the UN can also be helpful.
International legal matters are frequently litigated in American
courts, so check federal and regional digests for cases.