Principles and Cases of International Law - Textbook for Master of Laws Students

Author: Zhu Wenqi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: This textbook is designed for international law, primarily aimed at master's students in law. It is also suitable for candidates preparing for the legal master's program, faculty and students seeking to strengthen case-based teaching, as well as legal self-learners in the judicial practice field. The editor-in-chief, Professor Zhu Wenqi, has extensive experience in international legal practice. The main contributors are Ph.D. students from the International Law Department of Renmin University of China. Through their own experiences and insights in the field of international law, they utilize their proficient foreign language skills and extensive resources to introduce and analyze recent developments in international law principles and systems. Therefore, this textbook is not only innovative in structure but also in content, and it replaces the outdated case studies commonly found in international law textbooks with more recent examples. Compared to other general international law textbooks in China, this book has the following characteristics:
First, its content is relatively up-to-date, reflecting changes and new rules in modern international law. International law, like all other laws, is a "living law" that evolves and develops with changes in international relations. "International law" refers to the norms that regulate the relationships between states, and changes in the power structure within the international relations system naturally lead to corresponding adjustments in international law principles. The development of international relations has altered many rules in traditional international law. These changes and developments are fully reflected in this textbook, such as issues in international criminal law, international environmental law, and state immunity.
Second, its content and scope are focused and selective, rather than aiming to be comprehensive. The legal issues in international law are complex, and a textbook that provides a full introduction and analysis of international law would necessarily be overly lengthy. Therefore, this book does not attempt to list all international law issues but adopts a selective approach. When determining the content and scope, one of the key considerations is to choose events that play a crucial role in understanding the fundamental rules of contemporary international law, such as the 2003 U.S.-Iraq War, the reform of the United Nations Security Council, the delimitation of the East China Sea between China and Japan, the establishment of the International Criminal Court, and the recently adopted United Nations Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and Their Property.
Third, in terms of methodology, it primarily explains international law principles and rules through case studies. This textbook emphasizes international law cases, which is one of its distinguishing features from other international law textbooks. The book is divided into seventeen chapters, focusing on the basic theories and legal systems of international law, striving to accurately clarify the fundamental principles and knowledge of international law. In each chapter, selected international law cases are presented to introduce and analyze the legal issues relevant to that chapter.
Fourth, it provides references to encourage active research and reflection. While the textbook attempts to explain international law principles and basic rules through case studies, the selection of content inevitably depends on the authors' own understanding and judgment. Additionally, due to space constraints, the book cannot fully explore all the issues to be discussed. To address these limitations, at the beginning of each chapter, the book lists relevant international treaties, books, articles, and other references, with clear citations to encourage and assist students in conducting independent research and reflection based on these clues.