The course, taught in English, is addressed to Italian and foreign students. It aims at analysing the essential features of public international law. The three fundamental legal functions – law-making, law-determination and law-enforcement – will be examined, giving special attention to the transformations of the international community in the era of globalization.

In particular, the course will focus on the following topics: structural features and historical evolution of the international legal system; legal subjects: States and non-state actors, the international personality of international organizations; sources of international law: custom, general principles, treaties, binding acts of international organizations; the relationship between international law and municipal law; settlement of international disputes: diplomatic and judicial means, the International Court of Justice; internationally wrongful acts and the law of international responsibility; the use of force in international relations; individuals and international law: diplomatic protection, international protection of human rights, international crimes. Overview of some substantive regimes relevant to: immunities of States and their organs, the law of the sea, the international protection of the environment.



Course Timeline

Week 1. Introduction to the international legal systems and its three fundamental legal functions: law-making, law-determination and law-enforcement.

Weeks 2-4. Sources of international law: general international law (customary international law; general principles); codification of international law; treaties (making of treaties; reservations; interpretation; application ratione temporis, ratione loci and ratione personae; invalidity; termination); other sources or quasi-sources (binding acts of international organisations; soft law).

Week 5. The relationship between international law and national law.

Weeks 6-7. Subjects of international law: States; allocation of State jurisdiction (territorial sovereignty, including succession of States; law of the sea); limits to territorial sovereignty (State immunity from jurisdiction; protection of the environment).

Weeks 8-9. Subjects of international law (cont.ed): international organisations; self-determination of peoples; insurrectional movements; individuals (diplomatic protection; international protection of human rights; international crimes).

Week 10. The use of force in international relations; Chapter VII UN Charter and the collective security system; self-dence.

Week 11. State responsibility: the internationally wrongful act (subjective and objective elements); consequences of an internationally wrongful act; countermeasures; injured States and the invocation of State responsibility; 'ordinary' State responsibility and 'aggravated' State responsibility.

Week 12. Settlement of international disputes: diplomatic and judicial means; the International Court of Justice (composition, jurisdiction in contentious cases, procedure, interim measures of protection; judgments; enforcement of judgments; advisory opinions).

The main textbook is:

Carlo FOCARELLI, International Law (Cheltenham/Northampton: Edward Elgar 2019), chapters 1, 2 (sections 1 to 6A), 3, 4, 5 (sections 1, 2 and 4), 6 (Section 5), 7 (sections 2 and 3), 8 (section 1), 9 (sections 1A, 1B and 2).

Il corso, tenuto in lingua inglese, è destinato a studenti italiani e stranieri e intende analizzare le principali caratteristiche del diritto internazionale pubblico. Le tre funzioni fondamentali dell’ordinamento – produzione, accertamento e attuazione delle norme – saranno prese in esame, dando ampio rilievo agli attuali fenomeni di trasformazione della comunità internazionale, e in particolare al processo c.d. di “costituzionalizzazione” di tale ordinamento, determinato dalla progressiva affermazione di norme poste a tutela di interessi collettivi degli Stati e dalla conseguente erosione dei caratteri tradizionali delle relazioni interstatali basate sulla logica della reciprocità e dominate dal principio della sovranità degli Stati.
In particolare, saranno affrontati i seguenti argomenti: caratteri strutturali ed evoluzione storica del sistema giuridico internazionale; i soggetti dell’ordinamento internazionale: Stati e attori non statali, la personalità internazionale delle organizzazioni internazionali; le fonti: consuetudini, principi generali di diritto, trattati, atti vincolanti delle organizzazioni internazionali; i rapporti fra diritto internazionale e diritto interno; la soluzione delle controversie internazionali: mezzi diplomatici e mezzi giurisdizionali, la Corte internazionale di giustizia; illecito e responsabilità degli Stati; l’Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite e l’uso della forza nelle relazioni internazionali; l’individuo nel diritto internazionale: la protezione diplomatica, la tutela internazionale dei diritti dell’uomo, i crimini internazionali; le immunità degli Stati e dei loro organi, il diritto del mare, la protezione dell’ambiente.

Studenti frequentanti:
Carlo FOCARELLI, International Law (Cheltenham/Northampton: Edward Elgar 2019), capitoli 1, 2 (sezioni da 1 a 6A), 3, 4, 5 (sezione 1, 2 e 4), 6 (Sezione 5), 7 (sezioni 2 e 3), 8 (sezione 1), 9 (sezioni 1A, 1B e 2).

Studenti non frequentanti:
Carlo FOCARELLI, International Law (Cheltenham/Northampton: Edward Elgar 2019).