International Justice and International Law

Abstract

I wonder how many of the people reading this essay expect to see a satisfactory system of international law in their lifetimes. By satisfactory I don't mean perfect; domestic law is certainly not perfect in either its content or its methods of enforcement. Satisfactory, in the context of international law, means well articulated and generally accepted norms that are more or less fair, are usually obeyed and are supported by the international community when violated. For a system of international law to be satisfactory it must be substantively acceptable, legitimate in its derivation, and reasonably effective.