Public international law is important because it governs the behavior of the several subjects of international law, including States. Public international law reinforces the principle of sovereign equality among all States. It also lends predictability and order to the relationship between the subjects of international law. It also, arguably, constrains the behavior of the subjects of international law such as States, preventing them from engaging in a course of conduct incompatible with their international obligations, which might lead to international censure, economic retaliation, or military action. Public international law, also known as the Law of Nations, is a set of norms aimed at regulating the interaction between the subjects of international law that participate in international relations. Public international law norms create a common framework within which the subjects of international law operate and contribute to the existence of generally stable, organized, and consistent international relations.
Public international law governs the relationship between the subjects of international law, such as States, private international law addresses the private law rights of natural or legal persons. Private international law consists of a set of conflicts of laws rules applicable in international cases. These rules determine the applicability of a certain law in circumstances involving a choice between the municipal law of different States.
- Course creator: Dr Monica Narang