International law
International law basics
International law breaks down into two parts, public and private. Private law governs legal relations between people or companies in different countries, while public law focuses on relations between States or the application of law within a State.
The approach whereby "the only subject of international law is the State" is increasingly less applicable these days, due to the unprecedented number of international organizations and companies.
Moreover, the predominant place taken by human rights now confers on individuals the status of subject of international law. Canada has contributed to the campaign for the creation of the International Criminal Court (as at July 18, 2008, 108 countries had signed its founding treaty).
The fundamental question raised by international law is that of primacy: does an international standard have more value than an internal regulation? Signing an international agreement signals, in theory, that the State accepts the primacy of the obligations in the agreement.
Many branches of international law have "a particular importance for Canada," according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, including maritime law, environmental law, international criminal law, humanitarian law, civil law as well as commercial and tax law.
Related occupations
International law includes so many varied occupations that it is difficult to list them all. The United Nations, World Bank and the European Commission are the biggest employers. Lawyers who choose this specialty most often work on missions established by a State, in partnership with international organizations.
Interview with a lawyer specializing in international law |
"You have to be extraordinarily tolerant,"
Pearl Eliadis, lawyer (B.C.L., L.L.B., B.C.L. (Oxon.), human rights, national institutions and democratic development, Montreal, Quebec
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