A classification of the legal sources of international law.
Overview
Sources of International Law
The sources of international law are classified into four categories under Article 38(1) of the Statute of the International Court of Justice: treaties, international custom, general principles of law, and judicial decisions and teachings. These serve as the sources of legal norms in the international community and play a crucial role in resolving international disputes and regulating international relations.
international law
sources of law
treaties
customary international law
general principles
ICJ
UN Charter
| code | slug | name | description | articleReference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38-1-a | treaties | Treaties (International Conventions) | Legally binding agreements concluded between subjects of international law. | ICJ Statute Article 38(1)(a) |
| 38-1-b | customary-international-law | Customary International Law | Legal norms formed through repeated and consistent state practice and opinio juris. | ICJ Statute Article 38(1)(b) |
| 38-1-c | general-principles-of-law | General Principles of Law | Fundamental legal principles recognized by civilized nations. | ICJ Statute Article 38(1)(c) |
| 38-1-d | judicial-decisions-and-teachings | Judicial Decisions and Teachings | Judicial decisions and teachings of publicists as subsidiary means for determining rules of law. | ICJ Statute Article 38(1)(d) |
- Statute of the International Court of Justice official
- United Nations official
- Sources of International Law - NYU Law Library reference