Who’s Afraid of International Law?

Is there such a thing as an ‘international law’ of which to be afraid? Can international law be seen as a coherent set of norms? Or is it, rather, something experienced radically differently by different individuals and groups in different parts of the world? And what do the different sets of international law seek to change or justify today?

In Who’s Afraid of International Law? noted authorities in this field respond to Raimond Gaita’s invitation to explore ways in which international law constitutes a certain way of talking and being; one that might have both ameliorative and malign effects.
The result is an extended and rich conversation about international law’s aspirations and limitations, its nuances and rigidities, achievements and failures, relevance and irrelevance.

Contributors and Contents
Prelude
Raimond Gaita

Introduction: Who’s Afraid of International Law?
Gerry Simpson

1.   On Being Afraid of International Law
Gerry Simpson

2.   Changing the World: The Ethical Impulse of International Law
Sundhya Pahuja

3.   Who’s Afraid of the International Criminal Court
Tim McCormack

4.   Who’s Afraid of a Climate Treaty
Robyn Eckersley

5.   Remembering 1948:Who’s Afraid of International Legal History in the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict?
Catriona Drew

6.   Why Rule of Law Promotion is too important to be left to Lawyers
Martin Krygier

7.   The Universality of International Criminal Law and the Idea of a Common Humanity
Raimond Gaita

Note: The first printing of this text contained some errors in the reference section of the chapter by Catriona Drew: ‘Remembering 1948: History and International Law in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict’. These were corrected for subsequent printings.