International Law and International Organizations
Huig de Groot, known as Hugo Grotius, was the author of one of the first and a still influential text on international law, war and justice -- a text titled De Jure Belliac Pacis, or The Rights of War and Peace. Published in 1625, this treatise was based in large measure on principles derived from the Law of Nature and the Law of Nations. Grotius held that a civil right derives from the laws of a sovereign state, "But the law of nations is a more extensive right, deriving its authority from the consent of all, or at least of many nations (BECK Index, 2001, p.2)." Grotius established several principles for international resolution of conflicts, most of which in his era centered upon military interaction between one state and another. From the early work of Grotius through to the present day, nation-state have come together to create mechanisms for resolving international disputes through the processes of arbitration and the law.
The development of a number of treaty agreements and the creation of international organizations such as the League of Nations and its successor, the United Nations, also resulted in the development of several international courts. It is the purpose of this report to compare and contrast the structures, powers, and effects of three international legal bodies. These bodies are the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, the League of Nations Permanent Court of International Justice, and the United Nations International Court of Justice. The International Court of Justice replaced the Permanent Court of International Justice in 1946 (International Court of Justice, 2001).
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is an international organization that offers a broad range of services for resolving disputes between States and disputes between States and private parties. These services include good offices and mediation, commissions of ...