Responsiveness of the Theory to the Growing Field of International Law

What is it about?

Professor Roucounas discusses in this chapter of the Volume dedicated to Professor Marcelo Kohen the ever-important question of the theory of international law and how it responds to the exigencies of the modern era. Drawing from his seminal treatise on the Landscape of Contemporary Theory of International Law, Professor Roucounas offers a concise, yet thorough, tour d’horizon of the role of the theory of international law today. Against the backdrop of the increasing scope of international law, he addresses various fundamental questions of the discipline concerning amongst others the users of international law, its sources, the role of the international organizations, the proliferation of international courts and tribunals. He also underscores the plethora of schools, movements and trends in international law and questions the current scholarship in the field and the various voices of criticism. He concludes that ‘the current international legal framework reflects a number of political ambiguities. Yet, it is not deprived of sound normativity, in whose adoption scholars have played and play a significant role.

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Why is it important?

This publication offers a conscise but overarching assesment of how theory responds to the expansion of international law. It provides a thought provoking panorama of issues for both scholars and students interested in the theory of international law