This is a revised and updated version of the General Course on Public International Law.
The century just ended has seen the greatest transformation of human society in all of recorded history. With that, the pattern of international relations and international law has also witnessed radical transformation. The whole system that existed one hundred years ago has been swept away, but the new system is not yet firmly established and in place.
Every ‘precedent’, whether legal or other, must first be placed in its historical and temporal context before we can see if it is applicable in new circumstances and the historical evolution of any notion or concept is important for an understanding of its current implications. Through a close linkage between law and history, the author takes us through the evolution of international law to where it stands today.