In: Economics
International Relations
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the international legal system? Describe a current example of international law in practice.
The weaknesses in international law are as follows
1) It lacks effective power to make rules.
2) It lacks effective facilities or power to enforce the
legislation.
3) There is no compulsory authority for the International Court of
Justice.
4) Sanctions under international law are rather small.
5) It is not capable of interfering in matters within the domestic
authority and of the States.
6) Most of the laws of international law remain ambiguous and
unclear.
International law's biggest advantages come from institutions that expect more of us and thus give more in return. For starters, the World Trade Organisation guarantees low-cost access to markets in most of the world for US exports. Yet without providing access in exchange, we can not take advantage of this access. And until we are able to do so ourselves, we will not get anyone to obey the laws of fair play in the marketplace.
Yet international law does more than set the ground rules or level the international trade playing field. It can even help us overcome many of the thorniest challenges that we face. Simply stated, worldwide challenges need global solutions. There are many challenges that we can not fix ourselves, no matter how strong our country is or how devoted our politicians are.