International law: References & Edit History
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Additional Reading
General treatises
The leading English-language treatise is Robert Jennings and Arthur Watts, Oppenheimâs International Law, 9th ed. (1992, reissued 1996). Wide-ranging treatises include D.P. OâConnell, International Law, 2nd ed., 2 vol. (1970); and Charles E. Rousseau, Droit international public, 5 vol. (1970â83). An interesting view of international law on the basis of historical practice is J.H.W. Verzijl, International Law in Historical Perspective, 12 vol. (1968â98). Other treatises are Ian Brownlie, Principles of Public International Law, 5th ed. (1998); Malcolm N. Shaw, International Law, 5th ed. (2003); and Dinh Quoc Nguyen (Quoc Dinh Nguyen), Patrick Daillier, and Alain Pellet, Droit international public, 7th ed. (2002). Stimulating introductions are provided by Rosalyn Higgins, Problems and Process: International Law and How We Use It (1994, reissued 1998); and Louis Henkin, International Law: Politics and Values (1995). An authoritative view of international law from the Soviet perspective is G.I. Tunkin, Theory of International Law (1974; originally published in Russian, 1970).
Source materials
Basic documents
Good collections of basic documents include Ian Brownlie (ed.), Basic Documents in International Law, 5th ed. (2002); Malcolm D. Evans, Blackstoneâs International Law Documents, 5th ed. (2001); and Pierre-Marie Dupuy, Les Grands Textes de droit international public, 2nd ed. (2000).
Treaties
Treaties are collected in Clive Parry (ed.), The Consolidated Treaty Series, 231 vol. (1969â81); League of Nations, League of Nations Treaty Series: Publications of Treaties and International Engagements Registered with the Secretariat of the League, 205 vol. (1920â46); United Nations, Treaty Series (1947â ); Manley O. Hudson (ed.), International Legislation: A Collection of Texts of Multipartite International Instruments of General Interest Beginning with the Covenant of the League of Nations, 9 vol. (1931â50, reprinted 1970-72); and M.J. Bowman and D.J. Harris, Multilateral Treaties: Index and Current Status (1984), updated by annual cumulative supplements.
Case law
International case law can be found in International Court of Justice, Publications (1946); James Brown Scott (ed.), The Hague Court Reports, 2 vol. (1916â32); Vincent Coussirat-CoustĂšre and Pierre Michel Eisemann, Repertory of International Arbitral Jurisprudence (1989â91); Reports of International Arbitral Awards (irregular), published by the United Nations; International Law Reports (annual); and A.M. Stuyt (ed.), Survey of International Arbitrations, 1794â1989, 3rd, updated ed. (1990).
Digests of practice in international law
Digests of state practice include Alexandre-Charles Kiss, RĂ©pertoire de la pratique française en matiĂšre de droit international public, 7 vol. (1962â72); British Practice in International Law (annual), published by the British Institute of International and Comparative Law; John Bassett Moore, A Digest of International Law, 8 vol. (1906, reprinted 1970); Green Haywood Hackworth, Digest of International Law, 8 vol. (1940â44, reprinted 1973); Marjorie M. Whiteman, Digest of International Law, 15 vol. (1963â73); Digest of United States Practice in International Law (annual; 1973â1980; resumed publication in 2000); and Marion Lloyd Nash, Cumulative Digest, 1981â88 (1993â95). Surveys of current national practice may be found in most yearbooks and periodicals.
Journals and periodicals
Annuals
Yearbooks on international law include The British Yearbook of International Law; The Indian Year Book of International Affairs (irregular); The Japanese Annual of International Law; Annuaire Français de droit international; The Canadian Yearbook of International Law; Annuaire de lâInstitut de Droit International; Schweizerisches Jahrbuch fĂŒr internationales Recht (1944â90); German Yearbook of International Law; Netherlands Yearbook of International Law; and The Italian Yearbook of International Law.
Periodicals
Useful periodicals include The American Journal of International Law (quarterly); Archiv des Völkerrechts (quarterly); The International and Comparative Law Quarterly; Revue gĂ©nĂ©rale de droit international public (quarterly); International Business Law Journal (8/yr.); European Journal of International Law (quarterly); Netherlands International Law Review (3/yr.); Revue belge de droit international (semiannual); and Zeitschrift fĂŒr auslĂ€ndisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht (quarterly).
Reference works
Reference works include Rudolf Berhardt (ed.), Encyclopedia of Public International Law, 12 vol. (1981â90); Clive Parry et al. (eds.), Parry and Grant Encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law (1986, reissued 1988); Karl Strupp (ed.), Wörterbuch des Völkerrechts, 2nd ed., edited by Hans-JĂŒrgen Schlochauer et al., 4 vol. (1960â62); Union AcadĂ©mique Internationale, Dictionnaire de la terminologie du droit international (1960); James R. Fox, Dictionary of International and Comparative Law, 2nd ed. (1997); and American Law Institute, Third Restatement of the Law: The Foreign Relations Law of the United States, rev. and enlarged ed., 2 vol. (1987; reissued in 1 vol., 1990).
Article Contributors
Primary Contributors
Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors
Article History
| Type | Description | Contributor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Article title updated for style. | Nov 01, 2026 | ||
| Invalidated site: International Committee of the Red Cross - The "failed State" and international law. | Sep 29, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: CFR Education - What Is International Law? | Sep 18, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: Open Library Publishing Platform - Business Law and Ethics Canadian Edition - Introduction to International Law. | Dec 01, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: GGU Law Digital Commons - lnternational Law as Law (PDF). | Oct 11, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: Business LibreTexts - International Law. | Jul 29, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: United Nations - International Law and Justice. | Jan 17, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: International Journal of Law Management and Humanities - Aircraft Hijacking and International Law. | Oct 03, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: Georgetown Law - A Guide to the Basics of International Law. | Sep 13, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: CCCS Open Textbooks - Fundamentals of Business Law - International Law. | Jul 30, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Philosophy of International Law. | May 08, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: International Committee of the Red Cross - The "failed State" and international law. | Nov 03, 2023 | ||
| Links added. | May 05, 2023 | ||
| Cross-reference added. | Apr 28, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Library of Congress Research Guides - Public International Law: A Beginner's Guide. | Apr 03, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: OpenStax - Business Law I Essentials - International Law. | Oct 20, 2022 | ||
| Corrected display issue. | Nov 13, 2019 | ||
| Add new Web site: World Health Organisation - International Law. | Feb 07, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: Cornell Law School - Legal Information Institute - International Law. | Feb 07, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: United Nations Human Rights - International Law. | Feb 07, 2013 | ||
| Images added. | Feb 03, 2011 | ||
| Noted that the European Union ultimately succeeded the European Community. | Jan 08, 2010 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Sep 30, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: The Catholic Encyclopedia - International Law. | May 03, 2007 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Mar 16, 2007 | ||
| Article revised. | Apr 15, 2004 | ||
| Article added to new online database. | Jul 26, 1999 |