This chapter is, for obvious reasons, not a modification of the chapter from the previous edition. It is a completely new chapter, which considers the effect of Brexit on the UK constitution. There is discussion of the constitutional implications of triggering exit from the EU, and whether this could be done by the executive via the prerogative, or whether this was conditional on prior legislative approval through a statute. The discussion thereafter considers the constitutional implications of Brexit in terms of supremacy, rights, executive accountability to the legislature and devolution. The chapter concludes with discussion as to the paradox of sovereignty in the context of Brexit.
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Chapter
4. Brexit and the UK Constitution
Paul Craig
Chapter
20. Sovereignty and equality of states
This considers the uses of the term ‘sovereignty’ to describe the competence of states and equality.
Chapter
7. Sovereignty over Territory
Sovereignty is one of the fundamental concepts in international law. It is an integral part of the principles of equality of States, territorial integrity and political independence that are referred to in Article 2 of the United Nations Charter. Sovereignty is crucial to the exercise of powers by a State over both its territory and the people living in that territory. This chapter discusses traditional means of acquisition of territory; effective occupation; consent by other States; and limitations on sovereignty over territory.
Chapter
7. Sovereignty over Territory
Sovereignty is one of the fundamental concepts in international law. It is an integral part of the principles of equality of States, territorial integrity and political independence that are referred to in Article 2 of the United Nations Charter. Sovereignty is crucial to the exercise of powers by a State over both its territory and the people living in that territory. This chapter discusses traditional means of acquisition of territory; effective occupation; consent by other States; and limitations on sovereignty over territory.
Chapter
7. Statehood, Self-determination, and Recognition
Matthew Craven and Rose Parfitt
This chapter, which examines various theoretical arguments about recognition, statehood, or sovereignty, discusses the elusiveness of the actual place occupied by the State in legal international thought and practice. In one direction, the existence of a society of independent States appears to be a necessary presupposition for the discipline—something that has to precede the identification of those rules or principles which might be regarded as forming the substance of international law. In another direction, however, statehood is something that appears to be produced through international law following from a need to determine which political communities can rightfully claim to enjoy the prerogatives of sovereignty.
Chapter
1. Introduction to law
Scott Slorach, Judith Embley, Peter Goodchild, and Catherine Shephard
This chapter considers law as a concept and in its context. It examines key legal concepts such as law and morality, jurisprudence, the legitimacy of laws, the rule of law, and the separation of powers, looking at these in both theory and practice. It includes consideration of the virtue, duty, and consequentialist ethical theories, and legal theories including natural law, legal positivism, realism, and critical legal studies.
Chapter
1. Introduction to law
Scott Slorach, Judith Embley, Peter Goodchild, and Catherine Shephard
This chapter considers law as a concept and in its context. It examines key legal concepts such as law and morality, jurisprudence, the legitimacy of laws, the rule of law, and the separation of powers, looking at these in both theory and practice. It includes consideration of the virtue, duty, and consequentialist ethical theories, and legal theories including natural law, legal positivism, realism, and critical legal studies. Consideration is given to UK and international factors to give the broadest possible context, including identifying interdisciplinary perspectives. Real life examples are provided and discussed to aid deeper understanding of the concepts referred to.
Chapter
4. States as the Primary Subjects of International Law
Paola Gaeta, Jorge E. Viñuales, and Salvatore Zappalà
This chapter focuses on the State as the primary subject of international law. It begins with a discussion of the continuing pre-eminence of States as pivotal subjects of the international legal system and then analyses the processes through which States are created; the role of recognition of States, particularly in the context of contested Statehood; the legal rules governing the continuity, succession, and extinction of States; and the evolving concept of sovereignty, which is a notion at the very core of what a State is. The chapter is intended to introduce the main legal aspects of ‘Statehood’, as a first step in the discussion of more advanced concepts in subsequent chapters, such as the State’s spatial dimensions, its immunities and those of State officials, and the many limitations imposed by international law on State action.
Chapter
X. International Law
H. L. A. Hart
Celebrated for their conceptual clarity, titles in the Clarendon Law Series offer concise, accessible overviews of major fields of law and legal thought. This chapter considers two principal sources of doubt concerning the legal character of international law and, with them, the steps which theorists have taken to meet these doubts. Both forms of doubt arise from an adverse comparison of international law with municipal law, which is taken as the clear, standard example of what law is. The first has its roots deep in the conception of law as fundamentally a matter of orders backed by threats and contrasts the character of the rules of international law with those of municipal law. The second form of doubt springs from the obscure belief that states are fundamentally incapable of being the subjects of legal obligation, and contrasts the character of the subjects of international law with those of municipal law.
Chapter
IV. Sovereign and Subject
H. L. A. Hart
Celebrated for their conceptual clarity, titles in the Clarendon Law Series offer concise, accessible overviews of major fields of law and legal thought. The doctrine of sovereignty asserts that in every human society, where there is law, there is ultimately to be found latent beneath the variety of political forms this simple relationship between subjects rendering habitual obedience and a sovereign who renders habitual obedience to no one. This vertical structure composed of sovereign and subjects is, according to the theory, as essential a part of a society which possesses law, as a backbone is of a man. This chapter considers two important points in this doctrine. The first concerns the idea of a habit of obedience, which is all that is required on the part of those to whom the sovereign's laws apply. The chapter examines whether such a habit is sufficient to account for two salient features of most legal systems: the continuity of the authority to make law possessed by a succession of different legislators, and the persistence of laws long after their maker and those who rendered him habitual obedience have perished. The second point concerns the position occupied by the sovereign above the law: he creates law for others and so imposes legal duties or ‘limitations’ upon them whereas he is said himself to be legally unlimited and illimitable. The chapter inquires whether this legally illimitable status of the supreme lawgiver is necessary for the existence of law, and whether either the presence or the absence of legal limits on legislative power can be understood in the simple terms of habit and obedience into which this theory analyses these notions.
Chapter
8. Statehood, Self-Determination, and Recognition
Matthew Craven and Rose Parfitt
This chapter, which examines various theoretical arguments about recognition, statehood, and sovereignty, discusses the elusiveness of the actual place occupied by the State in legal international thought and practice. In one direction, the existence of a society of independent States appears to be a necessary presupposition for the discipline—something that has to precede the identification of those rules or principles which might be regarded as forming the substance of international law. In another direction, however, statehood is something that appears to be produced through international law following from a need to determine which political communities can rightfully claim to enjoy the prerogatives of sovereignty.
Chapter
Reference by the Attorney General and the Advocate General for Scotland—United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill and European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill [2021] UKSC 42, Supreme Court (also referred to as the Incorporation References Case)
Essential Cases: Public Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Reference by the Attorney General and the Advocate General for Scotland—United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill and European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill [2021] UKSC 42, Supreme Court. On its face, this case (also known as the Incorporate References case) concerns the two Bills of the Scottish Parliament which sought to incorporate two international treaties into Scots law. More significantly, this case—alongside the Continuity Bill Reference case—speaks to the nature of the devolution settlement, its democratic credentials, and the relationship between the UK Supreme Court, the devolved institutions, and the Westminster Parliament. The document also includes supporting commentary and questions from the author, Thomas Webb.
Chapter
Reference by the Attorney General and the Advocate General for Scotland—United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill and European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill [2021] UKSC 42, Supreme Court (also known as the Incorporation References Case)
Essential Cases: Public Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Reference by the Attorney General and the Advocate General for Scotland—United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill and European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill [2021] UKSC 42, Supreme Court (also known as the Incorporation References Case). On its face, this case concerns the two Bills of the Scottish Parliament which sought to incorporate two international treaties into Scots law. More significnatly, this case—alongside the Continuity Bill Reference case—speaks to the nature of the devolution settlement, its democratic credentials, and the relationship between the UK Supreme Court, the devolved institutions, and the Westminster Parliament. The document also includes supporting commentary and questions from author, Thomas Webb.
Book
Martin Dixon, Robert McCorquodale, and Sarah Williams
Cases and Materials on International Law, a topical companion for study placing international law directly in the context of contemporary debate, offers broad coverage of international law, and is suitable for use alongside a range of course structures and teaching styles. The book provides readers with a comprehensive selection of case law extracts for their studies. Extracts have been chosen from a wide range of historical and contemporary cases to illustrate the reasoning processes of the courts and to show how legal principles are developed. The book contains the essential cases and materials needed in order to understand and analyse the international legal order, providing notes on selected extracts to explain the complexities of the law. The sixth edition provides expanded coverage of topical areas such as: the use of force in Iraq and Syria and the threat of terrorism; international criminal law and the International Criminal Court; and developments in human rights and international environmental law. The new edition considers the perspectives of non-western and feminist scholars. It also updates core areas of international law, including sovereignty over territory and judicial sovereignty, the law of the sea, state responsibility, international legal personality and peaceful settlement.
Book
Ilias Bantekas and Efthymios Papastavridis
Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. International Law Concentrate provides a comprehensive overview of international law and includes key information, key cases, revision tips, and exam questions and answers. Topics covered include the nature of international law and the international system, sources of international law, and the law of treaties. The book also looks at the relationship between international and domestic law. It considers personality, statehood, and recognition, as well as sovereignty, jurisdiction, immunity, and the law of the sea. The book describes state responsibility and looks at peaceful settlement of disputes. Finally, it looks at the use of force and human rights.
Chapter
1. History of the project (1972–2020)
This chapter traces the history of the EU, and UK participation in the EU project at its key developmental moments, revealing that the referendum outcome on 23 June 2016 was perhaps a shock, but not a wholly unpredictable one. The EU's overall goals have never quite matched the UK's reasons for participating in the project. The chapter then sets out what goals the EU project has had over time, and how these have fitted with UK priorities and interests. It also looks at each key revision of the EU's foundational Treaties in turn, including the Treaty of Rome, the Maastricht Treaty, and the Lisbon Treaty. The UK willingly limited its sovereignty when it joined the EU in 1972; it has now exercised its sovereignty again by withdrawing from the EU. The chapter concludes with some thoughts on what will happen next in the now four-year-long Brexit saga.
Chapter
10. Status of territory: further problems
This chapter begins with a discussion of international procedures of territorial disposition, covering agreement between the states concerned, joint decision of the principal powers, and action by United Nations organs. It turns to the issue of sovereignty displaced or in abeyance, covering territory sub judice, territory title to which is undetermined, terra nullius, res communis, and Antarctica.
Chapter
8. Forms of governmental authority over territory
This chapter begins with a brief discussion of the concept of territory. It explains key terms and distinctions, including sovereignty and jurisdiction, sovereignty and ownership, sovereignty and administration, and ‘sovereign rights’ beyond state territory. This is followed by discussions of territorial administration separated from state sovereignty and restrictions on disposition of territory.
Chapter
11. International Law and Restraints on the Exercise of Jurisdiction by National Courts of States
Philippa Webb
This chapter examines the methods by which States prevent their national courts from deciding disputes that relate to the internal affairs of another State. It considers three main ‘avoidance techniques’: State immunity, act of State, and non-justiciability. It discusses the arguments for and against the current prohibition on the determination of one State’s disputes in the national courts of another State, and identifies the challenges presented by the rule of law, an individual’s right of access to court, and the implementation of jus cogens norms to the maintenance of these avoidance techniques. It concludes with the observation that the pendulum continues to swing between prioritizing sovereignty by protecting the activities of States from judicial scrutiny and calling for greater accountability and remedies for violations of international law.
Book
Richard Clements
The Concentrate Questions and Answers series offers the best preparation for tackling exam questions. Each chapter includes typical questions, diagram problem and essay answer plans, suggested answers, notes of caution, tips on obtaining extra marks, key debates on each topic, and suggestions on further reading. Q&A Public Law covers a wide range of issues relating to Public Law. The first chapter offers an introduction to the subject, with particular emphasis on exams. The twelfth chapter contains advice on coursework. This is followed by an examination of constitutions in terms of the nature and sources of the UK constitution, the rule of law, and the separation of powers. The text moves on to look at the royal prerogative, Parliament, and parliamentary sovereignty. Next the book considers the Human Rights Act 1998, followed by chapters looking at freedom to protest, police powers, and freedom of expression. Finally, the book considers administrative law and judicial review.
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