Edward Elgar Publishing Understanding Jus Cogens in International Law and International Legal Discourse (Elgar International Law series)

Whilst the concept of jus cogens has grown increasingly more important in public international law, lawyers remain hugely divided both over what precisely confers a jus cogens status on a norm, and what this conferral implies in terms of legal consequences. In this ground-breaking book, Ulf Linderfalk clearly and succinctly explores the reasons for this divide in order to facilitate more rational and productive future discourse.   Offering a new focus for jus cogens research, this insightful work moves beyond traditionally designed investigations of the application of jus cogens in international law and instead analyses the many implicit basic assumptions held by participants in international legal discourse, and the way in which these assumptions explain their various claims. Clarifying the precise relationship between submitted propositions and a legal positivist or legal idealist frame of mind, this captivating book will influence not only the future understanding and practice of international law, but also its codification and progressive development.   Scholars and advanced students of public international law, and international legal theory especially, will find this book a stimulating and novel read. Practitioners and judicial bodies will also benefit from a deeper understanding of the many issues and influences surrounding the concept of jus cogens. Review 'Ulf Linderfalk's new book Understanding Jus Cogens in International Law and International Legal Discourse is a timely contribution to the debate on the criteria and consequences of jus cogens in international law. A debate which has, for the most part, been characterised by participants speaking past each other. Building on his previous accomplished work on the theory of jus cogens, Linderfalk takes a step back in order to examine the common assumptions underlying dominant approaches to jus cogens in international law. The result is a book that has the potential to open the lines of communication in the pursuit of better understanding of jus cogens.' --Dire Tladi, University of Pretoria, South Africa About the Author Ulf Linderfalk, Faculty of Law, Lund University, Sweden