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Summary International Law Term 2 Consolidated Notes

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  • Course
  • International Law
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  • University Of Cape Town (UCT)

An in-depth summary of the relevant content for International Law Term 2, including the relevant lecture notes and textbook notes, including tips on how to answer questions. I got a first for this course.

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  • May 22, 2023
  • 90
  • 2021/2022
  • Summary

Subjects

  • international law

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  • University of Cape Town (UCT)
  • International Law
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International Law Term 2:
Consolidated Notes
Table of Contents
TOPIC FIVE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW................................................................................................................... 2
THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS.................................................................................................................................................2
DEVELOPMENTS UNDER THE UN...........................................................................................................................................................2
REGIONAL PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS............................................................................................................................................3
Africa...........................................................................................................................................................................................3
TOPIC 6: STATE RESPONSIBILITY................................................................................................................................................ 4
OVERVIEW OF STATE RESPONSIBILITY.....................................................................................................................................................4
Sources of Law for State Responsibility.......................................................................................................................................5
PART I OF THE DSR: INCURRING STATE RESPONSIBILITY.............................................................................................................................5
Overview: when can a state sue another state?.........................................................................................................................5
PART II OF THE DASR: CONSEQUENCES OF STATE RESPONSIBILITY...............................................................................................................9
Reparations................................................................................................................................................................................10
CIRCUMSTANCES PRECLUDING WRONGFULNESS.....................................................................................................................................12
TOPIC 7: THE UNITED NATIONS............................................................................................................................................... 14
GENERAL OVERVIEW AND STRUCTURE OF UN.......................................................................................................................................14
General......................................................................................................................................................................................14
UN Purpose and Principles........................................................................................................................................................15
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY................................................................................................................................................................... 18
SECURITY COUNCIL........................................................................................................................................................................... 22
THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE (ICJ)........................................................................................................................................28
Judicial Settlement of Disputes in International Law.................................................................................................................29
Relationship between the UN and the ICJ / Place of ICJ in UN..................................................................................................29
Composition of the ICJ...............................................................................................................................................................31
ICJ’s Competence.......................................................................................................................................................................32
TOPIC 8: USE OF FORCE.......................................................................................................................................................... 39
INTRODUCTION TO THE PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF FORCE....................................................................................................................39
Pre- 1945...................................................................................................................................................................................39
The UN Charter Provisions on use of force................................................................................................................................40
EXCEPTIONS TO PROHIBITION ON USE OF FORCE..................................................................................................................................46
1. The Use of Force in Self- Defence...........................................................................................................................................46
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................................................46
2. The Use Of Force Under UN Collective Security System........................................................................................................58
3. Controversial Exceptions........................................................................................................................................................63
TOPIC 9: INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW............................................................................................................................... 70
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................................................ 70
DOMESTIC PROSECUTIONS OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMES...........................................................................................................................75
JURISDICTION AND ADMISSIBILITY OF THE ICC......................................................................................................................................80
Immunity Before Domestic Courts.............................................................................................................................................84
Immunities Before The International Criminal Court................................................................................................................87

,Topic Five International Human Rights Law

Chapter 11: Internati onal Protecti on of Human Rights

The Development of Human Rights

 Human beings were treated as objects whereas states were treated as legal subjects 
implications is that states could treat its nationals in any way it thought fit i.e. humans had no
substantive rights & had no access to legal institutions for protecting themselves
o International legal order provided no supranational forum catering for interest of individuals
 This began to change with development of rules on aliens = rules worked to benefit humans
although in indirect fashion since whatever rights a human had, it derived from the state
 After WW1 = human rights featured in a series of agreements that guaranteed political/cultural
rights for minorities in Eastern/Central Europe
o Didn’t just protect minorities, it also secured enjoyment of specific rights for all nationals of
a certain state
o The first time that states bound themselves to behave in a specific way in terms of their
nationals
 Private organisations also played NB role in protecting humanitarian interests e.g. Red Cross which
had role in establishing Geneva Convention & Hague Conventions


Developments under the UN

 First universal statement of HR (human rights) appeared in preamble of UN Charter  obliged
member states to reaffirm faith in fundamental HR in equal rights of men/women
o Art. 1  sets out purpose of rog + promotes respect for HR & fundamental freedoms for all
without distinction
o Art. 55  goes further & commits UN to promote higher standards of living/full
employment & universal respect for all HR/fundamental freedoms for all
 Above didn’t impose duties on member states that were enforceable in law = states just obliged to
do no more than promote co-operation in working towards an indeterminate goal not a concrete
reality
o Developments have shown greatest obstacle to HR is effective system of enforcement
o Political organs of UN are available to exercise general power of investigation/supervision,
but Charter system provides no institution capable of hearing complaints/forcing errant
states to amend ways

,  1946  Economic & Social Council of UN established the Commission of HR = empowered to
receive complaints about rights violations where it could invite reply from state responsible
o GA also adopted UDHR (not legally binding but had profound influence on municipal courts
because it provides a universal standard for measuring systems of domestic law & served as
foundation for arguing that HR are part of customary IL)
o Cold War posed ideological barrier because of different perspectives of US & Soviets i.e. US
= human & socio-economic rights weren’t juridical whereas SU felt the opposite.
 Compromise was reached by creating to covenants: 1) International Covenant on
Economic/Social & Cultural Rights and 2) International Covenant on Civil & Political
Rights
 Two conventions make up international code of HR with UDHR
 ICCPR has active enforcement machinery i.e. Art 28 – 39  established HR Committee consisting of
18 experts from states party to the treaty
o States obliged to submit reports every 5 years on how they have taken to improve HR
o Committee can comment on the reports & states may reply – comments relate only to
general condition of HR in state concerned and not specific infringements
 State party may declare competence of committee to receive communications from
other member states that it isn’t fulfilling obligations under Covenant  delinquent
state can then explain behaviour
 Option protocol  allows parties to recognise competence of Committee to
receive/consider communications directly from individuals subject to their
jurisdiction
 ICESCR is weaker = initially only obliged state parties to ensure progressive improvement of socio-
economic conditions but this changed in General Comment 3 by Committee from
Economic/Social/Cultural Rights distinguished obligations of conduct & result
o State parties have immediate obligation to take deliberate concrete & targeted steps
towards realisation of treaty obligations which must be implemented in non-discriminatory
manner
o Each right also entails min. core obligation



Regional Protection of Human Rights


Africa

,  African Charter on Human & People’s Rights (1981) designed to reflect particular circumstances of
Africa in two ways: 1) Charter has special provisions from indigenous CL imposing duty on
individuals towards families/society etc and 2) charter makes provision for third generation rights
i.e. self-determination & satisfactory environment vesting in individuals
 Implementation of charter supervised by Commission based in Banjul  promote HR through
education & receives reports/petitions which ensures observance of charter in following ways:
o States obliged to submit reports on their compliance every 2 years
o Under compulsory system of interstate petitions any state party may refer an alleged
violation to commission which is obliged to investigate/seek amicable solution
o Commission may entertain complaints from individuals/non-state orgs and if it finds a
violation it is obliged to draw situation to attention of Au/relevant national gov’s
 Commission can only act on individuals petitions when requested by Assembly of
Heads of State and Gov of AU and only if petition refers to ‘serious/massive
violations’
 Commissions decisions aren’t binding, and its recommendations thus far have largely been ignored
by member states


Topic 6: State Responsibility

Overview of State Responsibility

When a state breaches its international law obligations, it bears state responsibility/ international responsibility



Summary

 Internationally wrongful act = conduct + State attribution + breach
 Consequences = cessation/ non-repetition + reparations to injured State
 But conduct will NOT constitute an internationally wrongful act if one of the circumstances precluding
wrongfulness applies


Key Questions for this Section:

 What is State responsibility?
 What are the sources of law?
 Conditions for State responsibility
 Consequences of State responsibility
 Who can invoke responsibility?
 ‘Defences’ to State responsibility (circumstances precluding wrongfulness)


International law, like municipal law, recognises that a wrongful act should render the offender liable to make
reparations. BUT there are differences between IL and ML in this regard:

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