Public Law Studies Quarterly

The ‘Foreign Legal Policy’ of States and Its Relationship with the ‘Legal Policy’ of the International Court of Justice

Document Type : Article

Authors

Seyed Jamal Seifi 1
Vahid Rezadoost 2

1 Associate Prof., Faculty of Law, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

2 Ph.D. in International Law, Faculty of Law, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22059/jplsq.2021.312649.2609
Abstract
Confronting various issues in the international community, international law does not always function in the same way. This is because behind this legal system, like any other system, there are human agents who each understand and interpret the norms and rules of international law according to their own hypotheses and presuppositions. In the meantime, states as the main subjects of the international legal system try to maximize their ‘national interests’ with a special understanding of international law. The present article attempts to analyze the factors involved in such state policies in order to achieve peaceful settlement of international disputes through the concept of ‘foreign legal policy’. The present paper also shows how this policy directs the international dispute resolution system in general and the decisions of the International Court of Justice in particular, and conversely, the Court’s legal policy, in turn, affects the legal policy of the disputing states.

Keywords

state
International Court of Justice
legal policy
foreign legal policy
judicial policy
national interest

  1. English & French

    1. A) Books
    2. Abed al-Jabri, Mohammed (2011), The Formation of Arab Reason: Text, Tradition and the Construction of Modernity in the Arab World, Center for Arab Unity Studies and I.B. Tauris.
    3. Abi-Saab, Georges, Les exceptions préliminaires dans la procédure de la Cour internationale. Étude des notions fondamentales de la procédure de la Cour internationale et des moyens de leur mise en oeuvre, Pedone, 1967.
    4. Abrahamian, Ervand (2013), The Coup 1953, the CIA, and the Roots of Modern US-Iranian Relations, The New Press.
    5. Habermas, Jürgen (1986), Knowledge and Human Interests, Polity Press.
    6. Hanqin, Xue (2017), Jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, Brill.
    7. Lacharrière, Guy Ladreit de (1983), La politique juridique extérieure, Economica.
    8. Lauterpacht, Hersch (2011), The Function of Law in the International Community, first published in 1933, Oxford University Press.
    9. Loughlin, Martin (2000), Sword and Scales. An Examination of the Relationship between Law and Politics, Hart Publishing.
    10. Powell, Emilia Justyna (2020), Islamic Law and International Law: Peaceful Resolution of Disputes, Oxford University Press.
    11. Vaucher, Marius (1951), Le problème de la justiciabilité et de la non justiciabilité en droit international des différends dits politiques ou non juridiques, Paris.
    12. Venzke, Ingo (2012), How Interpretation Makes International Law: On Semantic Change and Normative Twists, Oxford University Press.

     

    1. B) Articles
    2. Abi-Saab, Georges (1987), ‘Cours général de droit international public’, Recueil des cours, pp. 29-463.
    3. ------------------ (2014), ‘La métamorphose de la fonction juridictionnelle international’, Unité et diversité du droit international: Ecrits en l’honneur du professeur Pierre-Marie Dupuy, Martinus Nijhof, pp. 377-398.
    4. Anand, Ram Kumar (1962), ‘Attitude of the ‘New’ Asian-African Countries Towards the International Court of Justice’, International Studies, vol 4, pp. 254-284.
    5. Bedjaoui, Mohammed (2006), ‘L’humanité en quête de paix et de développement. Cours général de droit international public’, Recueil des cours, pp. 25-542.
    6. Caflisch, Lucius (2001), ‘Cent Ans de règlement pacifique des différends interétatiques’, Recueil des cours, pp. 245-467.
    7. Couveinhes-Matsumoto, Florian (2016), ‘La politique juridique extérieure de la République populaire de Chine’, Annuaire français de relations internationales, Vol. 17, pp. 551-575.
    8. Crawford, James (2018), ‘The Current Political Discourse Concerning International Law’, Modern Law Review, Vol. 81, pp. 1-22.
    9. Crawford, James & Alain Pellet (2008), ‘Anglo Saxon and Continental Approaches to Pleading Before the ICJ / Aspects des modes continentaux et Anglo-Saxons de plaidoiries devant la C.I.J.’ in Isabelle Buffard et al. (eds), International Law between Universalism and Fragmentation. Festschrift in Honour of Gerhard Hafner, Martinus Nijhoff, pp. 831-867.
    10. Dupuy, Jean-Pierre (1972), ‘L’adaptation de la Cour internationale de Justice au monde d’aujourd’hui’, AFDI, Vol. 18, pp. 99-120.
    11. Higgins, Rosalyn (1968). ‘Policy Considerations and the International Judicial Process’, ICLQ, Vol. 17, pp. 277-303.
    12. Jayatilleke, Kulatissa Nanda (1967), ‘The Principles of International Law in Buddhist Doctrine’, Recueil des cours, pp. 441-567.
    13. Jean Combacau (1984), ‘Science du droit et politique dans l’enseignement du droit international. A propos de: Guy de Lacharrière, ‘La politique juridique extérieure’’, RGDIP, Vol. 88.
    14. Koh, Harold (2020), ‘American Schools of International Law’, Recueil des cours, pp. 34-77.
    15. Kolb, Robert (2019). ‘La politique juridique des états face à la Cour Internationale de justice quelques réflexions générales’, in Florian Couveinhes-Matsumoto, Les Etats face aux juridictions internationales: une analyse des politiques étatiques relatives aux juges internationaux: actes de la 2e Journée de droit international de l’ENS, Paris: Pedone, pp. 73-84.
    16. Kolb, Robert (2020.) ‘Chronique de la jurisprudence de la Cour international de justice en 2019’, Swiss Review of International and European Law, Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 45-73.
    17. Kunz, Josef (1951), ‘Bellum justum and bellum legale’, AJIL, Vol. 45, pp. 111-117.
    18. Mahmassani, Sobhi (1966), ‘The Principles of International Law in the Light of Islamic Doctrine’, Recueil des cours, pp. 201-328.
    19. Pellet, Alain (1985), ‘Le Sage, le Prince et le Savant (A propos de ‘La politique juridique extérieure’ de Guy de Lacharrière)’, JDI, Vol. 112, pp. 407-414.
    20. Pellet, Alain (2018), ‘Introduction from the Podium’, in Edgardo Sobene Obregon & Benjamin Samson (eds), Nicaragua Before the International Court of Justice. Impacts on International Law, Springer, pp. 15-39.
    21. Powell, Emilia Justyna (2018), ‘The International Court of Justice and Islamic Law States. Territory and Diplomatic Immunity’ in Karen J. Alter, Laurence R. Helfer & Mikael Rask Madsen (eds), International Court Authority, Oxford University Press, pp. 277-299.
    22. Reisman, Michael (2012), ‘The Quest for World Order and Human Dignity in the Twenty-first Century. Constitutive Process and Individual Commitment’, Recueil des cours, pp. 129-206.
    23. Spiermann, Ole (2002), ‘“Who Attempts too Much Does Nothing Well”- the 1920 Advisory Committee of Jurists and the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice’, BYIL, Vol. 73, pp. 187-260.
    24. Tattersall, Luke, Azfer A. Khan (2020), ‘Taking Stock: Abuse of Process within the International Court of Justice’, LPICT, Vol 19, No. 2.
    25. Virally, Michel (1983), ‘Le champ opératoire du règlement judiciaire international’, RGDIP, Vol. 87, pp. 281-314.
    26. --------------------- (1989), ‘Réflexions sur la politique juridique des Etats’, Guy Ladreit de Lacharrière et la politique juridique extérieure de la France, Mélanges G. de Lacharrière, Paris, pp. 394-402.
    27. Young, Margaret A., Emma Nyhan and Hilary Charlesworth (2019), ‘Studying Country-Specific Engagements with the International Court of Justice’, JIDS, Vol. 10.

     

    1. C) Documents
    2. Aerial Incident of 27 July 1955 (Israel v. Bulgaria), ICJ Rep 1959.
    3. Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. (United Kingdom v. Iran), ICJ Rep 1952.
    4. Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro), ICJ Rep 2007.
    5. Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro), ICJ Rep 2007.
    6. Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Croatia v. Serbia), ICJ Rep 2015.
    7. Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Georgia v. Russian Federation), ICJ Rep 2011.
    8. Corfu Channel (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland v. Albania), ICJ Rep 1949.
    9. Free Zones of Upper Savoy and the District of Gex, PCIJ, series A, no 22.
    10. Jurisdictional Immunities of the State (Germany v. Italy: Greece intervening), ICJ Rep 2012.
    11. Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v. United States of America), ICJ Rep 1986.
    12. Nottebohm (Liechtenstein v. Guatemala), ICJ Rep 1955.
    13. Obligations concerning Negotiations relating to Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and to Nuclear Disarmament (Marshall Islands v. United Kingdom), ICJ Rep 2016

     

    Refrences In Persian:

    1. A) Books
    2. Falsafi, Hedayatullah (2009), Perpetual Peace and the Rule of Law. Dialectics of Similarities and Differences, New Publishing Culture, First Edition (In Persian).
    3. Haeri Yazdi, Mohammad Mehdi (1384), Philosophical Essays (Collection of Articles), by Abdullah Nasri, Research Institute of Iranian Wisdom and Philosophy (In Persian).
    4. Katouzian, Nasser, A Step Towards Justice, Vol. 2, Tehran: Mizan Publications, First Edition, 2008 (In Persian).
    5. Khudabakhshi Shalamzari, Abdullah (1398), Fundamental Distinction of Civil Law and Criminal Law, Third Edition, City of Knowledge (In Persian).
    6. Movahed, Mohammad Ali (2001). Excessive Pseudonym: British Documents and the Sheikhs’ Claim to the Tonb and Abu Musa Islands, Tehran: Karnameh Publication (In Persian).
    7. Saadi, Mosleh al-Din (1385), Golestan, edited by Mohammad Ali Foroughi, Tehran: Hermes Publications (In Persian).

     

    1. B) Articles
    2. Falsafi, Hedayatullah (1393), ‘Legal Thought in Iran is Paralyzed’, Interview, Mehrnameh Monthly, 37, pp. 166-170 (In Persian).
    3. Mansoori Naraghi, Mahmoud (1356), ‘World Law Conference in Manila’, Bar Association Magazine, No. 141, pp. 59-70 (In Persian).
    4. Seifi, Seyed Jamal (1382), ‘Reflections on Iran’s Cases in the International Court of Justice’, Journal of Legal Research, No. 3, pp. 31-46 (In Persian).
    5. Seifi, Seyed Jamal & Rezadoost, Vahid (1399), ‘The Concept of ‘Legal Policy’ in International Jurisprudence’, Legal Research Quarterly, Vol. 23, No. 91, Fall, pp. 61-80 (In Persian).
Public Law Studies Quarterly
Volume 52, Issue 3
Autumn 2022
Autumn 2022
Pages 1363-1389

  • Receive Date 27 October 2020
  • Revise Date 01 June 2021
  • Accept Date 27 June 2021

Home

Journal Process Ethics

Peer Review Process

Submission

Indexing and Abstracting

Contact Us