LEGAL APPROACHES OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The question as whether an international act is legally right or wrong?  Is  the focus of this analysis. This is premised on the fact that states are living in a well ordered world under the aegis of established codes of international law.  Hugo Grotius, the father of international law through his classic “on the law of war and peace” is a major motivator of this school. 

Most  legality are traceable to the Killog –Briand Act 1929  which out lawed war as an instrument of national  policy except in self –defence;  the  general  convention of  1949  where  nation states are

expected  to play active parts  in the protection of war  victims, the Hague  convention of  1954 for neutral  states to participate in the protection of cultural  property; and the  1961, Vienna convention  on diplomatic intercourse and immunities. The task in this or approach is for analysts  to look at the legality of  a state vis-à-vis these conventions.

            The contemporary view of international politics requires not only attention of the nature of a state but also a revaluation of the meaning of  international law. The code of conduct for the nation-states has not prevented civil wars  coups d’ etat, intervention, invasion, violation of treaties, seizure of territories , disappearance of  sovereign states  from the political map, or two world war within a generation.

It is obvious  that  international law is not law in conventional sense of an enforceable  command issued by  a superior  on interior. No court may force a state to submit to litigation against its will or enforce a  section without prior agreement of the parties to a suit . The lack of hard-and –task, enforceable rules permits states to exploit wide latitude or behavioural options in executing their foreign policies.