Unit 3 of Public International Law (syllabus: Module III — the law of treaties: definition, kinds and essentials, conclusion, interpretation, rights and duties of parties, validity and enforcement; the United Nations Organisation, the General Assembly, the Security Council, ECOSOC, the International Court of Justice, the Secretariat and the Trusteeship Council; specialised agencies and NGOs). Below: what the unit covers, the provisions it turns on, and the cases an examiner expects you to name.
What this unit covers
- What counts as a treaty for the purposes of the Vienna Convention?
- When may a State make a reservation, and what happens if others object?
- What is the force of a treaty in force, and can internal law excuse non-performance?
- How is a treaty interpreted?
- On what grounds does a treaty end or become void?
- When may a State escape a treaty because circumstances have changed?
- How does the Security Council act, and who can stop it?
- What does a receiving State owe a diplomatic or consular post, and what is the remedy for breach of consular access?
Treat that list as a self-test: recite each topic's rule from memory before you open its cases.
Provisions
- Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, s. 2(1)(a)
- Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, s. 19 to 23
- Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, s. 26, 27 and 46
- Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, s. 31, 32 and 33
- Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, s. 46 to 68
- Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, s. 62
- Charter of the United Nations 1945, s. 23, 24, 25, 27, 39, 41, 42 and 51
- Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963, s. 36
Leading cases
- Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969
- Charter of the United Nations 1945
- United States Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Tehran