Between 'Great Weight', 'Excessive Pretensions' and 'Statements of No Value': United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies, National Courts and the Rule of International Human Rights Law

Abstract

The interaction of the ten United Nations human rights treaty bodies and national courts is a potentially powerful mechanism for the application and development of international human rights law. This paper, which is an initial part of a wider study, canvasses the engagement by final appellate courts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom with the work of treaty bodies and identifies a broad range of positive and negative responses by those courts. The paper concludes by addressing the potential for enhanced dialogue between the two categories of institution.