The International Legal 'System

• Author: John H. Currie; Craig Forcese; Joanna Harrington; Valerie Oosterveld
• Pages: 9-9

9

Part i

The International Legal “System”

INTRODUCTION

In this Part we examine the fundamental building blocks of international law. We look at the

meaning of international law before moving on to discuss the sources of international legal

obligation and the subjects of international law.

Our title to this Part draws attention to the word “System”; we chose this approach

because international law is not simply a eld of law, but an entire system of law. Within the

international legal system there are many diverse elds, from international trade law and

foreign investment law to international environmental law, international human rights law,

and international criminal law. All these elds rest on an understanding of the basic tenets

of the international legal system as a whole.