Annotation
This is a Winter Semester 2014 course by visiting lecturer Dr. Benjamin Faude from WZB| Berlin Social Science Center (http://www.wzb.eu/en/persons/benjamin-faude).
Since the end of the Cold War, international law has become increasingly important for international relations. This is due to two reasons: First, international law has tremendously expanded its coverage. Numerous international agreements that create legal obligations for states have been concluded. Second, international law is increasingly intervening in domestic affairs. It is regulating not only the behavior of states, but also the behavior of domestic societal actors. The ascending importance of international law is supported by the proliferation of international courts and tribunals which seek to ensure compliance by enforcing legal obligations among states. The international legal system by now encompasses 26 permanent courts and more than 120 quasi-judicial dispute settlement mechanisms. Within the IR-community, these developments haven given rise to a new wave of scholarship on legal phenomena. This seminar makes M.A. students familiar with the central concepts of this body of IR literature. It addresses the causes as well as the consequences of the ‘legalization’ of international relations: Why do states conclude legally binding international agreements and what effects do they have on their behavior? Why do states create international courts and tribunals and how do they affect their relations? By answering these questions, the seminar enables students to grasp the role of international law for interstate relations.