Adamson University

COLLEGE OF LAW
Manila

Course Outline

PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW

M. L. Perete

SY 2023-24

Part I: Sources of International Law

Statute of the International Court of Justice, Article 38

A. Sources

1. Custom

Fisheries Case, ICJ Reports (1951)

a. Practice
Asylum Case, Columbia v. Peru, ICJ Reports (1950)
Fisheries Case, ICJ Reports (1951)
Genocide Case, ICJ Reports (1951)

b. Opinio juris et necessitatis

Positive Evidence of Recognition of Validity of Rule

Lotus Case, PCIJ Ser. A, no. 10
North Sea Continental Shelf Cases, (Federal Republic of Germany v. Denmark;
FRG v. The Netherlands) ICJ Reports (1969)
Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicagargua (Nicaragua vs.
United States [Merits]), ICJ Reports (1986)

Acquiescence
Right of Passage over Indian Territory, ICJ Reports (1960)

c. Local Customary International Law

Asylum Case (Colombia v. Peru), ICJ Rep. 1950 266

d. The persistent objector

Ango-Norwegian Fisheries Case, ICJ Reports (1951)
North Sea Continental Shelf Cases, ICJ Reports (1969)

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 e. Burden of Proof
Lotus Case, PCIJ Ser. A, no. 10

2. Treaties

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1969

Arts, 6, 26 and 34

a. The Relationship of Customary International Law and Treaty Law

North Sea Continental Shelf Cases, supra.
Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua, supra.; also dissent of
Judge Jennings

b. Treaty as Evidence of Customary Norm

Nottebohm Case (Second Phase), ICJ Reports (1955)

c. Identity of Treaty and Customary Norm

Case of Nicaragua vs. United States (Merits), supra.

d. Conclusions of International Conferences

Namibia Opinion, ICJ Reports (1971)

e. Resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly

South West Africa cases (Second Phase), ICJ Reports (1966); see dissenting opinions
of Tanaka and Jessup

3. General Principles of Law

a. Practice; Sphere of application

Corfu Channel Case, ICJ Rep, 1949
The Diversion of Water from the Meuse Case, Netherlands v. Belgium (1937), PCIJ
Reports, A/B No. 70 (Ind. Op., Judge Hudson)
Gulf of Maine Case, ICJ Rep., 1984
Barcelona Traction, Light and Power Co. Case, Belgium v. Spain, ICJ Reports, 1970
Frontier Dispute Case (Burkina Faso v. Mali), ICJ Rep 1985 6

b. How applied
South West Africa Case, ICJ Rep 1950 (Lord McNair)

4. Judicial Decisions and Teachings of Highly Qualified Publicists

a. Impact of Judicial Decisions in the Development of the International Law

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 b. In general
Asylum Case, supra.

c. Binding Effect of Judicial Decisions

Art. 38(I)(d) in rel. to Arts. 59 and 63, ICJ Statute
German Interests in Polish Upper Silesia (Merits), (1926), PCIJ, Ser. A, no. 7

d. Judicial Precedent in the International Court of Justice

Case Concerning the Land, Island and Maritime Frontier Dispute, ICJ Reports
(1990), Dissenting Opinion, Judge Shahabuddeen

B. The Treatment of UN General Assembly Resolutions

United Nations Charter 1945

Arts. 10, 18 and 25

1. Generally
Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons, ICJ Advisory Opinion, 1996
South West Africa Cases, ICJ Rep., 1966, Dissenting Op., Judge Tanaka

2. As evidence of state practice

Western Sahara Case, Advisory Opinion, ICJ Reports, 1975
Cf G.A. Resn. 1514 (XV), December 14, 1960, G.A.O.R., 15 Session, Supp. 16

3. As affirmation of extant law

C. The Interaction between International and Municipal Law

1. Spheres of Influence
Nottebohm Case (Second Phase), ICJ Reports (1955)

2. Monism v. Dualism
Section 2, Article II, 1987 Philippine Constitution
Medellin v. Texas, 552 US 491 (2008)
Bayan Muna v. Alberto Romulo, GR No. 159618, 1 February 2011

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 Part II: International Legal Personality

A. Legal Persons
1. States

a. Requirements for statehood

Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States (1933)

Austro-German Customs Union Case, Advisory Opinion, PCIJ Reports, Series
A/B, No. 41 (1931); include the Separate Opinion of Judge Anzilotti
Tunis and Morocco Nationality Decrees (1923), PCIJ, Ser. B., no. 4
US Nationals in Morocco (1952), ICJ Reports
German Interests in Polish Upper Silesia (Merits), (1926), PCIJ, Ser. A, no. 7,
supra.

2. Other political entities

Free City of Danzig and the ILO (1930), PCIJ, Ser. B, no. 18

3. Condominia

4. Entities Sui Generis

a. The Holy See

Holy See vs. Starbright Sales, ILR, 102, 163

b. The Sovereign Order of Malta

Nanni v. Pace and the Sovereign Order of Malta, Ann. Digest, 8 (1935-7);
Scarfo v. Sovereign Order of Malta, ILR 24 (1957)

c. Governments in Exile, Liberation Movements

The Southern Rhodesian Question

Security Council (S.C.) Res. No. 216 (1965)
S.C. Res. No. 217 (1965)
Cf. Portuguese Guinea Question
G.A. Res. 3061 (XXVIII), G.A.O.R., 28th Session, Supp.
S.C. Resolution No. 356 (1974), S.C.O.R., 29th Year, Resolutions and
Decisions

d. Belligerent communities; people’s movements

Right of Passage Case (Merits), ICJ Reports (1960), (Judge Spiropoulos,
Judge Armand-Ugon)
US Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Iran Case (United States v. Tehran), ICJ
Rep 1980, ICJ

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5. International Organizations and Individuals
Reparation for Injuries Suffered in the Service of the United Nations (Advisory
Opinion), 1949 ICJ Reports

B. International Recognition

1. Declaratory View vs. Constitutive View

Tinoco Concessions Arbitration, (1923), RIAA

2. Types of Recognition: De Jure or De Facto

Juliana Etorma, et al v. Lucila Ravelo, et al, GR. No. L-718, 24 March 1947

3. Retroactivity
Polish Upper Silesia case, PCIJ, Ser. A, no. 7 (1926); see also opinion of Lord
Finlay

4. Collective Recognition
Cameroons Case (Preliminary Objections), ICJ Reports (1963); Sep. Opinion of
Judge Fitzmaurice

5. Non-Recognition
Namibia Opinion, ICJ Reports (1971)

6. Issues of Recognition
Accordance with International Law of Unilateral Declaration of Independence in
respect of Kosovo, Advisory Opinion, ICJ (2010)
Western Sahara Case, Advisory Opinion, ICJ Reports (1975)
East Timor Case, ICJ Reports (1995)
Burkina Faso v. Mali, ICJ Reports (1986)

C. Jurisdictional Sovereignty

1. General Principles of Jurisdiction

Art. 2, United Nations Charter
S.S. Lotus Case (France v. Turkey), supra.

2. Grounds for Assertion of Jurisdiction by National Courts

a. Territorial
Bankovic and Others v. Belgium and 16 other contracting states, 41
International Legal Matters 517 (2002), European Court of Human Rights
Boumediene v. Bush, 47 International Legal Matters 650 (2008), United States
Supreme Court

b. Nationality

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 Arts. 1-4, Hague Convention on Questions Relating to the Conflict of
Nationality Laws 179 League of Nations Treaty Series 89 (1930)
In the Matter of the Petition to Approve the Will of Luz Gaspe Lipson and
Issuance of Letters Testamentary, Gaspe v. Pacis-Trinidad, G.R. No.
229010, 23 November 2020.

c. Protective Principle
Attorney-General of the Government of Israel v. Eichmann, 36 ILR (1961) 5,
District Court of Jerusalem

d. Passive Personality
S.S. Lotus Case (France v. Turkey), supra.
United States v. Yunis, 681 F. Supp. 896 (1988), United States District Court,
District of Columbia

e. The Effects Doctrine

Hartford Fire Insurance Co. v. California US Supreme Court, 113 S. Ct. 2891
(1993)

f. Universality
Case Concerning the Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000 (Democratic Republic
of Congo v. Belgium), ICJ Rep 2002, ICJ
United States v. Yunis, supra.
United States v. Yousef, 327 F. 3d 56; 61 Fed R. Evid. Serv. 251 (2003),
United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit

3. State Jurisdiction and Persons Apprehended in Violation of International Law

State v. Ebrahim, 31 International Legal Matters 888 (1991), Supreme Court of
South Africa (Appellate Division)
United States v. Alvarez-Machain, 31 International Legal Matters 902 (1992),
United States Supreme Court
Prosecutor v. Dragan Nikolic (Decision on Interlocutory Appeal concerning
Legality of Arrest), Case No. IT-94-2-AR73, ICTY Appeals Chamber, 5 June
2003

D. Immunities from National Jurisdiction

1. General Principles
Arts. 1-3, 5 and 10, UN Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and
their Property
Arts. 20 and 23, European Convention on State Immunity 1972
The Schooner Exchange v. McFaddon, 7 Cranch 116 (1812), US Supreme Court

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 Arigo v. Swift, G.R. No. 206510, 16 September 2014 (include concurring opinion
of J. Sereno)
China National Machinery & Equipment Corp. v. Santamaria, G.R. No. 185572, 7
February 2012
Department of Foreign Affairs v. NLRC, GR 113191, 18 September 1996

a. Who May Claim

Case Concerning the Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000 (Democratic Republic of
Congo v. Belgium), ICJ Rep. 2002
Difference Relating to Immunity from Legal Process of a Special Rapporteur of
the Commission on Human Rights, ICJ Advisory Opinion (1999)

2. Diplomatic and Consular Immunities

Arts. 9, 22, 24, 27, 29-32, 39, 41 and 42, Vienna Convention on Diplomatic
Relations 1961
US Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Iran Case (United States v. Tehran), ICJ Rep
1980, ICJ

Part III: Selected Topical Areas in International Law

A. The Law on Treaties

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969)

Art. 2

1. Treaty: Definition and Nature

Case Concerning Maritime Delimitation and Territorial Questions between Qatar and
Bahrain (Qatar v Bahrain) (Jurisdiction, First Phase), ICJ Rep. 1994 112, pars.
22-30

2. Unilateral Statements
Nuclear Test Cases (Australia v. France and New Zealand v. France), Merits, ICJ
Rep. 1974, pars. 43-51

3. The Law on Treaties

a. Formation and Application of Treaties
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, Arts, 6-8, 11, 12, 14-15
Case Concerning Armed Activities on the Territory of Congo (New Application:
2002) (Democratic Republic of Congo v. Rwanda) Jurisdiction and
Admissibility, ICJ Rep. 2006
North Sea Continental Shelf Cases, supra.
Nottebohm Case (Second Phase), supra.

b. Entry into Force

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 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, Arts. 18, 24, 28

c. Pacta Sunt Servanda

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, Art. 26

d. Impact of Treaties on Third States

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, Arts. 34-38

e. State Succession to Treaties

Vienna Convention on Succession of States in Respect of Treaties 1978, 1946
UNTS 3, Arts. 2, 5-6, 8-16
Case Concerning the Arbitral Award of 31 July 1989 (Guinea-Bissau v. Senegal)
83 ILR (1992), Special Arbitration Tribunal, par. 33
Application of the Genocide Convention (Bosnia Herzegovina v. Yugoslavia
(Serbia and Montenegro) (Indication of Provisional Measures), ICJ Rep 1993
325, J. Weeramantry, Sep. Op.

f. Reservation to Treaties

i. Purpose of Reservation
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, Art. 2(d), Arts. 19 and 23
Advisory Opinion Concerning Reservations to the Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, ICJ Rep. 1951 51
Belilos v. Switzerland, ECHR Ser A (1988) Vol. 132, European Court of
Human Rights

ii. The Effect of Reservations

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, Arts. 20-22
Genocide Case, supra.
Case Concerning Armed Activities on the Territory of Congo (New
Application: 2002) (Democratic Republic of Congo v. Rwanda),
Jurisdiction and Admissibility of Application, ICJ Rep. 6 (2006), Sep.
Op., Higgins, Koojimans, Elaraby, Owada and Simma, pars. 4-5, 9-12
North Sea Continental Shelf Cases, supra.

g. Treaty Interpretation
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, Arts. 31-33
Territorial Dispute Case (Libya Arab Jamahiriya v. Chad, ICJ Rep. 1994 6, par. 51
Case Concerning the Territorial and Maritime Dispute (Nicaragua v. Colombia),
Preliminary Objections, ICJ Rep. 2007 832, pars. 115-117
Case Concerning the Dispute Regarding Navigational and Related Rights (Costa
Rica v. Nicaragua), 13 July 2009, International Court of Justice, pars. 48, 50-
52, 62-64, 70

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 China Measures Affecting Imports of Automobile Parts, AB-2008-10, Report of
the WTO appellate Body, 15 December 2008
Oil Platforms (Islamic Republic of Iran v. United States of America, Merits, ICJ
Rep. 2003 161

h. Invalidity of Treaties

i. Generally
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, Arts. 42-53, 64

ii. Inconsistency with National Law and Coercion

Case Concerning the Territorial and Maritime Dispute (Nicaragua v. Colombia,
ICJ Rep 2007 832, pars. 75, 78-80

iii. Error
Temple of Preah Vihear Case (Cambodia v. Thailand), Merits, ICJ 1962 6, pp. 26-
27

iii. Jus Cogens

Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (New Application 2002)
(Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Rwanda), Judgment 3 February
2006, ICJ

iv. Unequal Treaties

P. Wesley-Smith, Unequal Treaty 1898-1997: China, Great Britain and Hong

Kong’s New Territories (1980), pp. 184-185

v. Procedure for Invoking Treaty Invalidity

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, Arts. 65, 69, 71

i. Termination of Treaties; Withdrawal from Treaties

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, Arts. 45, 54, 56-57, 59, 60-62,
70, 72
Fisheries Jurisdiction Case (United Kingdom v. Iceland), Jurisdiction, ICJ Rep.
1973 3, pars. 37-38, 43
Legal Consequences for States of the Continued Presence of South Africa in
Namibia (South West Africa) notwithstanding Security Council Resolution
276 (1970), Ad. Op., ICJ Rep. 1971 16, pars. 94-96, 101
Case Concerning the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Project Danube Dam Case (Hungary
v. Slovakia), ICJ Rep. 1997 7, pars. 100-102, 104, 106 and 108
Dissenting Opinion of Judge Perrin De Brichambaut and Judge Lordkipanidze,
Situation concerning the Republic of the Philippines, ICC Appeals Chamber,
ICC-01/21-77-OPI, 18 July 2023

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 B. The Use of Force

C. State Responsibility

1. Nature of State Responsibility

Factory at Chozow (Claim for Indemnity) Case (Germany v. Poland), Merits, PCIJ
Ser A. 1928, PCIJ
Arts. 1-3, Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts
(2001)

2. Attribution
Arts. 4-11, Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts
(2001)

a. Officials
Application on the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro), Merits (2007),
ICJ
Claire Claim, France v. Mexico, 5 RIAA 516 (1929)
Southern Pacific Properties (Middle East Limited) v. Arab Republic of Egypt,
1993, International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes

b. Private persons
United States Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Tehran Case, supra.
Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua, supra.
Application on the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide, supra.

c. Revolutionary Movements
Asian Agricultural Products Ltd (AAPL) v. Republic of Sri Lanka, 30 ILM 577
(1991), ICSID

3. Breach of an International Obligation by a State

a. International Obligations
Arts. 12-13, Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful
Acts (2001)

b. Responsibility of a State in Connection with an Act of Another State

Arts. 16-18, Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful
Acts (2001)

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4. Circumstances Precluding Wrongfulness (Defenses)
Arts. 20-27, Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts
(2001)
Rainbow Warrior Arbitration (New Zealand v. France)
82 ILR (1990), France-New Zealand Arbitration Tribunal
Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories, Ad. Op., ICJ 2004

5. Consequences of a Breach

a. General
Arts. 28-31, 34, Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful
Acts (2001)
Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission, Final Award (Ethipopia’s Damages
Claims), 17 August 2009, Permanent Court of Arbitration

b. Serious Breach of a Peremptory Norm (Jus Cogens)

Arts. 40-41, Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful
Acts (2001)
Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories, Ad. Op., supra.

c. Claims Enforcement

i. Ability to bring claim

Arts. 42, 48, Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful
Acts (2001)

ii. Diplomatic protection

Nottebohm Case, supra.
Barcelona Traction and Light Case, supra.
Case Concerning Ahmadou Sadio Diallo, Republic of Guinea v. Democractic
Republic of Congo, Preliminary Objections, ICJ Rep. 2007

iii. Exhaustion of local remedies

Electronica Sicula Spa. (ELSI) Case, United States v. Italy, ICJ Rep. 1989
Case Concerning Ahmadou Sadio Diallo, Republic of Guinea v. Democractic
Republic of Congo, Preliminary Objections, supra.

d. Treatment of Aliens
Neer Claim, United States v. Mexico, Mexico-US General Claims Commission,
1926

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 The Loewen Group, Inc. and Raymond L. Loewen v. USAm NAFTA Arbitration
Tribunal, 2006
Mondev International Ltd. v. USA, ICSID Case No. Arb AF/99/2, 11 October
2002

D. International Criminal Law

1. International Criminal Law; Definition

Prosecutor v. Todorovic, Sentencing Judgment, 31 July 2001, ICTY Trial Chamber
Case Concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and
Montenegro), Merits, ICJ Rep. 2007, International Court of Justice

2. Sources of International Criminal Law

Art. 21, Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 2187 UNTS 3

a. Genocide
Art. 2, Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
1948, 78 UNTS 277
Reservations to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crimes
of Genocide, Advisory Opinion, ICJ Rep. 1951

a.1 Definition of Protected Groups

Prosecutor v. Bagilishema, Judgment, 7 June 2001, ICTR Trial Chamber
Case Concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia Herzegovina v. Serbia and
Montenegro), Merits, ICJ Rep 2007, ICJ

a.2 Material elements – genocidal acts

Prosecutor v. Akayesu, Judgment, 2 September 1998, ICTR Trial Chamber
Prosecutor v. Krstic, Judgment, 2 April 2001, ICTY Trial Chamber

a.3 Intent
Case Concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia Herzegovina v. Serbia and
Montenegro), Merits, ICJ Rep 2007, ICJ
Prosecutor v. Seromba, Judgment, 12 March 2008, ICTR Appeals Chamber
Prosecutor v. Akayesu, supra.

b. Crimes against Humanity

Art. 7, Rome Statute
Situation in the Republic of Kenya, Decision Pursuant to Article 15 of the Rome
Statute on the Authorization of an Investigation into the Situation in the
Republic of Kenya, 31 March 2010, ICC Pre-Trial Chamber
Prosecutor v. Kunarac et al., Judgment, 12 June 2002, ICTY Appeals Chamber

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 c. War Crimes

c.1 Threshold elements

Art. 8, Rome Statute
Prosecutor v. Dusko Tadic, Decision on Defence Motion for Interlocutory
Appeals, 35 International Legal Matters 32 (1996), ICTY Appeals
Chamber
Prosecutor v. Kunarac, Judgment, 12 June 2002, ICTR Appeals Chamber
Prosecutor v. Kordic, Judgment, 17 December 2004, ICTY Appeals Chamber

c.2 War Crimes in International and Non-International Armed Conflict

Prosecutor v. Tadic. Judgment, 15 July 1999, 38 ILM 1518 (1999), ICTY
Appeals Chamber

c.3 Aggression
International Criminal Court, Resolution RC/Res. 6, 11 June 2010, ICC
Assembly of States (see Article 8bis-Crime of Aggression)

3. Prosecuting International Crimes

a. Modes of Liability
Art. 25, Rome Statute
Prosecutor v. Tadic, Judgment, 15 July 1999, ICTY Appeals Chamber

b. Command Responsibility
Art. 28, Rome Statute
Prosecutor v. Halilovic, Judgment, 16 November 2005, ICTY Trial Chamber
Prosecutor v. Bemba Gombo, Decision on Confirmation of Charges, 15 June
2009, ICC Pre Trial Chamber

c. Defenses
Arts. 31 and 33, Rome Statute
Prosecutor v. Erdemovic, Appeal on Sentencing Judgment, 7 October 1997, ICTY
Appeal Chamber

d. Immunity
Arts. 27 and 98, Rome Statute

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