The Cambridge companion to international law / edited by James Crawford and Martti Koskenniemi ; assistant editor Surabhi Ranganathan.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"This intellectually rigorous introduction to international law encourages readers to engage with multiple aspects of the topic: as 'law' directing and shaping its subjects; as a technique for governing the world of states and beyond statehood; and as a framework within which several critical and constructivist projects are articulated. The articles situate international law in its historical and ideological context and examine core concepts such as sovereignty, jurisdiction and the state. Attention is also given to its operation within international institutions and in dispute settlement, and a separate section is devoted to international law's 'projects': protecting human rights, eradicating poverty, the conservation of resources, the regulation of international trade and investment and the establishment of international order. The diverse group of contributors draws from disciplinary orientations ranging from positivism to postmodernism to ensure that this book is informed theoretically and politically, as well as grounded in practice"-- Provided by publisher.

"From an exotic specialization on the fringes of the law school, international law has turned during the last century into a ubiquitous presence in global policy-making as well as in academic and journalistic commentary on such policy-making. With internationalization first, globalization later, questions about the legality under international treaties or customary law of this or that action were posed with increasing urgency in the media and by citizen activists as well as by governments and international institutions"-- Provided by publisher.

Part I. The Contexts of International Law. International law in diplomatic history / Gerry Simpson ; International law in the world of ideas / Martti Koskenniemi ; International law as law / Frédéric Mégret -- Part II. International Law and the State. Statehood : territory, people, government / Karen Knop ; Sovereignty as a legal value / James Crawford ; Exercise and limits of jurisdiction / Bruno Simma and Andreas Th. Müller ; Lawfare and warfare / David Kennedy -- Part III. Techniques and Arenas. Law-making and sources / Hilary Charlesworth ; International courts : uneven jurisdiction in global order / Benedict Kingsbury ; International institutions / Jan Klabbers ; International law and the relativities of enforcement / Dino Kritsiotis -- Part IV. Projects of International Law. Constituting order / Anne Orford ; Legitimating the international rule of law / B.S. Chimni ; Human rights in disastrous times / Susan Marks ; Justifying justice / Sarah M.H. Nouwen ; Regulating trade and investment / Hélène Ruiz Fabri ; Divided against itself : aspiration and reality of international law / Thomas Pogge ; Conserving the world's resources? / Sundhuya Pahuja.