POL340Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Sharia, Mcgill Guide, Jaywalking
22 Nov 2016
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Generally speaking, the state is the actor in law. Non-state actors have influence in international law because a state(s) has given it that power through institution. Private international law (actors from several nations) is not what is studied here. Law and politics- the tension in international law is quite obvious. The judgments in the international court of justice are not enforceable in the way that the judgments of the supreme court in canada. However, international law is more than just a fiction. Used an atm, flown a flight, etc. you"ve benefitted from treaties. Some international laws are so sacrosanct, you"ll never see them violated. Just because a nation violates international law, does not mean it is fictional. States need to be seen as complying with international law, even when they violate it. States wouldn"t be so concerned to seen as compliant with international law, if it wasn"t important.
