SHIRLEY V. SCOTT, INTERNATIONAL LAW IN WORLD POLITICS: AN INTRODUCTION (BOULDER, COLO.: LYNNE RIENNER PUBLISHERS, 2004)

Abstract

∗ Shirley V. Scott's recent work, International Law in World Politics: An Introduction 1 , presents the reader with a structured and balanced treatment of the symbiosis between international law and politics, as well as a theoretical and practical survey of international law's fundamental principles and major disciplines. Scott, who is a senior lecturer in international relations at the University of New South Wales, organizes each chapter as part of an overarching and cohesive whole. The outline begins by building a solid basis in international law through a discussion of its main sources and actors, and through an analysis of the system's logical composition. After establishing a foundation, Scott then moves on to examine the creation of legal arguments and multilateral treaty regimes. This provides a segue to the remaining chapters of the piece, which effort to give the reader insight into the specific international legal fields of arms control, international environmental law, international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The result is a well constructed introductory text to what can be, at times, a cumbersome and unwieldy subject. Scott begins her work by laying down some of the basic building blocks of international law, briefly addressing how it is most often forged, in terms of treaty and custom, while distinguishing it from the often legislative and judicially driven systems of domestic law. In setting up a background to the international legal framework, Scott focuses on establishing international law as an autonomous entity but, at the same time, as an integral and inseparable part of the global political system. The text then moves to discuss the primary actors that fuel the creation and continued existence of international law. The reader is presented with the historical background leading to the creation and recognition of the modern state. Described as the most important actors in both international law and world politics, states are also analyzed within terms of sovereignty and with respect to jurisdiction. The work then delves into the role of Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs). Because of its overwhelming importance, a discussion of the United Nations and a subsequent analysis of its principal organs and specialized agencies serves as the major focus in the text's discourse on this topic. Apart the Security Council and General Assembly, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in particular, is given a sizeable amount of attention. The ICJ's role of issuing decisions, advisory opinions and creating and clarifying international law are presented in depth. Public interest NGOs and the influence they can exude on the international legal system usher in the discourse on