Theory of International Law at the Threshold of the 21st Century is a remarkable book, and is destined to become a standard work, without which no International Law library will be complete. The essays contained in this volume are written by the foremost experts, and the topics have been chosen with the greatest care, to reflect the most pressing current problems facing the world community. The research and writing made available in this collection will be of enduring worth, and will be studied and quoted for decades to come. It follows in the finest traditions of the major collective works published by Martinus Nijhoff/Kluwer Law International. It is most appropriate that a remarkable book should be dedicated to a remarkable man, and the editor of the volume Professor Jerzy Makarczyk has ensured that the choice of writers, the choice of topics and the quality of the material do indeed honour one of the leading international lawyers of his generation: Professor Krzysztof Skubiszewski.

The third edition of Ingrid Detter's authoritative work explores the changing legal context of modern warfare in light of events over the last decade. Ingrid Detter reviews the status of non-State actors, as individuals and groups become more prominent in international society. Covering post 9/11 events and the resulting changes in the ethos of war, the author analyses the role of military companies and examines what their legitimacy means for international society. The edition also discusses certain ’intrinsic’ rules in the Law of War, such as rules giving individuals the right to be spared genocide, torture, slavery and apartheid and assure them basic democratic rights. The author questions the right of ’illegal’ combatants to be treated as prisoners of war and suggests that a minimum standard must be afforded to all, whether captured dictators or detainees suspected of terrorism. In the modern world, the individual (the soldier, the civilian, the dictator, the terrorist or the pirate) can no longer behave as they wish. Further new topics include 'target killings', the ’right to protect’ (’R2P’, - claimed to be a new form of intervention), the use of unregulated weapons such as drones and robots, the war scenario in Outer Space and cyber crimes. There is also a discussion of new developments in the field of war crimes including severe criticism of the novel concept 'joint criminal enterprise' (JCE), which, in the opinion of the author, undermines the Rule of Law. This updated and expanded edition will be of use to statesmen, scholars and students of international relations and international law.

The third edition of Ingrid Detter's authoritative work explores the changing legal context of modern warfare in light of events over the last decade. The new edition covers post 9/11 events and the resulting changes in the ethos of war. It analyses the role of military companies sometimes authorised by States to act in war-like situations and examines what their legitimacy means for international society. The edition also discusses certain ‘intrinsic’ rules such as rules giving individuals the right to be spared genocide, torture, slavery and apartheid and assure them basic democratic rights.

The agreement of disputing parties to each make a unilateral appointment of an arbitrator is among the most distinctive features of arbitral practice. A detailed examination, long overdue, of how this feature affects the actual process of arbitration is presented in this book. The study includes a historical analysis of unilateral nominations, a critical assessment of how the unilateral appointments system currently works and an empirical study of challenges of arbitrators. The author's critical assessment addresses several issues including: - limits to the right of the parties to make unilateral appointments; - the principle of equality of the parties in the constitution of the arbitral tribunal; - arbitrators’ duty to be impartial and independent; - specific problems of bias in tribunals with party-appointed members; - the question of whether a different standard of impartiality and independence in party-appointed arbitrators makes any sense; - the presumption that party-appointed arbitrators can do things that presiding arbitrators cannot; and - the question of whether it is worth keeping the system of unilateral appointments as the default method for the constitution of multiple-member tribunals, or keeping it at all. The empirical study, in which the author offers a comparative analysis of challenges of arbitrators taking into account the method of appointment of the arbitrator, reveals interesting differences and coincidences between party-appointed and non-party-appointed arbitrators. The book ends with some suggestions on how the system of unilateral appointments could be improved, namely in order to increase the trust of each party in the arbitrator appointed by the other party and to allow an accurate match between what arbitration end-users may want from party-appointed arbitrators and what they ultimately get. For both its thorough and well-informed analysis and its sound recommendations, the book is sure to be welcomed by professionals in the arbitral community worldwide, as well as by arbitration law academics.

What is it about international arbitration that makes it so open to evolution and adaptation? What are the main pressure points today and the unmet needs of stakeholders? What are the opportunities for expansion to new sectors and new audiences? What are the drivers for change, the obstacles and the risks? And equally important, what are the core principles that should never be lost? These were the topics of the Twenty-Fourth ICCA Congress, held in Sydney, Australia, in April 2018, the proceedings of which are collected in this volume. The volume highlights arbitration as a ‘living organism’ that has adapted in the past to various challenges, and that today – under attack from various quarters – might need to demonstrate its adaptability again. Accordingly, the contributions address the evolving needs of users, the impact of the rapidly changing face of technology, the expectations of the public, and the convergence and divergence of different aspects of legal traditions and cultures. Topical issues of interest for practitioners, academics, and students of arbitration include the following: legitimacy and authority of arbitrators, institutions and professional organizations to act as lawmakers; investment treaty reform, with particular reference to the definition of ‘investment,’ the evolution of substantive treaty standards, and sustainable development obligations; commercial arbitration reform, including issues of public and private interest, the development of common law, and cost, delay and transparency concerns; revisiting party autonomy in choosing decision-makers, including through institutional appointments or investment courts; equality of arms, the economics of access, and the role of costs and third-party funding; public-private disputes and special issues that arise when State entities arbitrate; public participation and transparency, and their effect on both ISDS and commercial arbitration; revisiting conventional wisdom in organizing arbitral proceedings; lessons to be learned from other dispute resolution frameworks; technology as friend and enemy, including new tools, new threats, and cybersecurity; arbitration of disputes in conflict and post-conflict zones; inter-generational blame and praise in investment arbitration; and the emergence of sovereign wealth funds as arbitration participants. A special section on ‘New Frontiers in Arbitration’ offers enlightening perspectives on new types of claims and new types of stakeholders likely to affect the future of international arbitration, including the potential for climate change disputes and enlarged participation.

Many different, and even opposite, meanings are ascribed to the term `sources' of international law. The author of this work goes back to the meaning of the term `source' in general (spring or well) and analyses in detail the various sources of international law. He first explains the sources of general, and then those of particular international law. He starts with general principles of law, which is followed by common features of customary process of whatsoever kind, and then by general and by particular customary law. Custom will be followed by unilateral acts of States and with opposable situations in international law which are closely linked with this kind of sources of international law. The explanation ends with treaties in regard to which there are the least doctrinal controversies. The explanation cannot be quite homogeneous. There are still deep doctrinal misunderstandings in respect to general principles of law and of unilateral acts of States. The author therefore offers a critical analysis of representative views of other authors and tries to reach solutions to problems presented. He also gives a systematic explanation of recent pronouncements of international courts and tribunals with regard to customary law, and he examines the specific solutions prescribed in the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.