Stalking the Legal Lexicon of International Relations

Abstract

International Law: A Dictionary. By Boleslaw A. Boczek Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005. 477 pp., $110.00 (ISBN: 0-8108-5078-8). Words have particular meanings and convey particular ideas. But communication is neither simple nor straightforward. “‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less’” (Carroll 1954:209). This attitude that words should mean exactly what we intend points up the need for special reference works—we call them dictionaries—that list words or concepts along with their objective meanings, histories, and contexts. Dictionaries are serious educational tools that aim to improve knowledge and explain the use of words, concepts, and phrases. They are distinguished by alphabetical organization and a particular mode of use—that is, dictionaries are meant for consultation on a need-to-know basis, as opposed to perusal from beginning to end. Modern international law contains an immense and growing body of rules, norms, and regulations that reaches virtually all aspects of international intercourse. Moreover, international organizations have contributed mightily to the composition of modern international law as a pervasive, organized system of cooperation. Nonetheless, the lexis for international law, like language in general, is hardly so precise that it can measure up to Humpty Dumpty's expectations, as expressed to Alice in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass . The vast array of concepts, terms, and principles of international law sometimes seems like alien discourse—not only because foreign words and phrases are often key concepts but also because legal language is often subject to varied interpretations. It is this combination of factors that highlights the intrinsic value of Boleslaw Boczek's International Law: A Dictionary , an encyclopedic work that marks the culmination of a lifetime of learning and teaching international law. Boczek is ably qualified to craft such a magnum opus . Prior to World War II, he studied law at Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland. After …