Is there such a thing as "International Law"?

Question

isn't that the whole point of having individual countries, so you can make your own laws?

Answer 1

The Geneva Convention set up International Laws - the police force is known as INTERPOL and they are located in Europe. It is to stop countries from breaking rules such as war crimes, and crimes against other counties.

Answer 2

Sortof, but those individual countries can together agree to play by certain rules. Thus, there is international law when all those countries agree to follow the rules. Interestingly, the U.S. Constitution mandates that the supreme law of the land is the Constitution and all the Treaties we are a member of. In addition, many of these treaties are upheld constantly. For example, the borders between every country are established through treaties and international law. And rarely are those treaties and laws violated.

However, there are few international legislative organs: however, some treaties do have these in function: i.e. the WTO, the UN, and some other treaties. Thus, there is some independent international law that makes law between nations even in a world of sovereign states.

Answer 3

International law covers a wide variety of things. There are laws about how countries relate to each other, like trade laws. There are also international regimes, for example the International Whaling Committee. There have been many intergovernmental groups that have dealt with narrow issues and because they have been largely successful one doesn't hear about them much.

It is true that sovereignty is given up when countries enter into such agreements. However it is important to note that countries enter into such agreements voluntarily, often there few repercussions for breaking the agreements (which also can make them weak) and entering into such agreements can often be in the interest of the nation.

Answer 4

"International law" is a generic term for treaties agreed upon by two or more countries. These laws are only applicable to countries that have signed and ratified them (i.e. those countries that have agreed to abide by them).

A few examples of pieces of international law:

- UN Convention Against Torture
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Geneva Conventions
- Declaration on the Rights of the Child

Answer 5

International law derives from treaties that are signed by multiple countries. For example, the UN General Assembly would create international law.

Answer 6

Sort of.

International law is the body of interlocking treaties that countries have entered into to regulate their relationships.

It has validity in any given country only to the extent that that country has chosen to be bound by it.

For example...

The International Law of the Sea treaty is at least partly ratified by every country on earth with a coastline. It says (among other things) that two ships approaching each other head on shall both alter course to Starboard. Since both the US and the UK have ratified the treaty, an English and American ship approaching head on will both alter course to Stbd. If one of them doesn't, and there's a collision, the officer on watch can be criminally prosecuted under his own countries laws.

Now, the US *could* choose to change the law and say that in US law, two ships approaching head on shall both alter course to Port. Now if our English and American ships approach head-on, one will go to Stbd, one will go to Port, and there will be a collision - but neither officer can be prosecuted, because they both did what their countries law requires.

Richard

EDIT... a couple of people mentioned Interpol. Interpol is NOT a police force. It's simply an intelligence clearinghouse and route for cooperation for police forces. There are no "Interpol agents" scouring the globe looking for crooks. If Joe Blow is wanted in New York, and he leaves the country heading for Europe, the NYPD can ask Interpol to advise the police forces across Europe to look out for him.

Answer 7

No, national isn't a financial enterprise neither is it a %, national is a development Society no longer on the inventory marketplace as its contributors reject the shares schemes it has tried to run. the digital mail you have been despatched is a rip-off and national are attentive to it ( I even have pronounced it myself and have assurances from Head workplace, yet there is not any longer something they might do). So only delete it.

Answer 8

I have heard the term "International Law" used but unable to elaborate on it.

Answer 9

See Interpol.