Enforcement of international law is traditionally considered as one of the weaknesses of the existing international institutional architecture. Antonio Cassese has famously compared international courts to ‘giants without limbs’. In this second part of the Capita Selecta course, we will study non- coercive enforcement and compliance techniques. Enforcement involves both law and politics. The course will introduce you to some of the theoretical foundations of enforcement and compliance in international law and existing mechanisms and practices. We will discuss strengths and weaknesses of a number of international mechanisms, including the International Court of Justice, human rights mechanisms, international criminal jurisdictions, the role of domestic courts and impediments to enforcement.
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