International Law Functions vs domestic Law explained

Описание: #internationallaw #law #lecture

International Law and Its Functions, visualized By Hesham Elrafei , Lex Animata

International Law Vs National Law: What's The Difference?

International law consists of rules and norms regulating interactions among states, international organizations, and individuals.

It provides a framework for resolving disputes and safeguarding states from one another.

But what is the difference between domestic law and international law?

As in local jurisdictions, laws serve many functions. It sets a body of expectations, provides order, maintains the status quo, and justifies the use of force by a government to maintain order.

The law operates in a hierarchical system at the domestic level, where the law is created by the parliament or the government and enforced by the courts and police. 

Therefore Individuals are bound by the rule of law, as maintaining order and predictability is in everyone's best interests. Still, if the law is broken, state officials can bring violators to justice and use state power to punish them.

On the other hand, international law functions horizontally where authoritative structures are absent.  There is no global government, no international parliament, or international courts with mandatory jurisdiction.

In the absence of a sovereign body with enforcement authority and the inability to force compliance through effective physical coercion, international legal rules obtain their force because they have been widely accepted as rules of conduct by states.