Discuss the difference between public and private international law, and list the sources of international law

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The law that governs the relationships between nation-states is known as public international law. Private international law governs the relationships between private parties involved in transactions across national borders. In most cases, the parties negotiate between themselves and set out their agreements in a written document. In some cases, however, nation-states subsidize the private parties or are signatories to the agreements negotiated by those parties. In such instances, the distinction between private and public international law is blurred. Sources of international law can be found in: a) custom; b) treaties between nations, particularly treaties of friendship and commerce; c) judicial decisions of international courts, such as the International Court of Justice; d) decisions of national and regional courts, such as the U.S. Supreme Court, the London Commercial Court, and the European Court of Justice; e) scholarly writings; and f) international organizations.