91368 - Foundations Of International Law

Academic Year 2025/2026

Learning outcomes

"At the end of the course unit, students: - possess an in-depth knowledge about the structure of the international legal order, with an emphasis on the interactions between sources and the relationships involving the subjects of the international community; - are capable to correctly and independently assess, the interaction between sources belonging to different cooperation areas at the international level and can interpret multiple primary sources. "

Course contents

I. What is International Law

  • International Law in Historical and Evolutionary Perspectives
  • International Law in Social Context
  • Differences and similarities between international and domestic law
  • Relativity and Dialectics in the Interpretation of International Rules
  • Effectiveness of International Rules: Spontaneous Observance and Forced Compliance

II. Subjects of International Law

  • States
  • International organizations
  • NGOs
  • Individuals
  • Corporations

III. Making and Changing of International Law

  • Absence of an International Legislature
  • Treaty Law
  • Customary Law
  • Relationship between Treaty an Customary Law
  • General Principles of Law
  • Soft Law

IV. International Law and Domestic Legal Systems

  • Monism and Dualism
  • Municipal Law before International Adjudicative Bodies
  • International Law before Domestic Adjudicative Bodies
  • The Doctrine of Incorporation in Common Law Legal Orders
  • The ‘Receipt’ of International Law in Civil Law Legal Orders
  • Legal Nationalism

V. Breaching of International Law

  • State Responsibility
  • State liability

VI. The International Means of Dispute Settlement

  • Diplomatic Means
  • Adjudicative Means
  • Institutional Means

VII. Areas of material law

  • Law of Armed Conflicts
  • International Criminal Law and Adjudication
  • International Investment Law
  • WTO Law
  • Law of the Sea
  • Human Rights Law
  • Migration Law
  • International Environmental Law
  • Law of Jurisdictional Immunities

Readings/Bibliography

AM. Tanzi, A Concise Introduction to International Law (3rd ed., Giappichelli 2025)

 

Course syllabus. 

 

Teaching methods

The course will be delivered in person through a combination of frontal lectures, student presentations, and practical exercises.

Assessment methods

Multiple Choice Test + Oral Exam

Teaching tools

Power Points Slides Uploaded on Virtuale

Office hours

See the website of Ludovica Chiussi Curzi