The International Judge An Introduction to the Men and Women Who Decide the World's Cases

by Terris, Daniel; Romano, Cesare P.R.; Swigart, Leigh

• ISBN13: 9780199238736
• ISBN10: 0199238731
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-02-27
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Over the last century, international courts, once reserved for arcane matters of diplomacy and trade, have begun to address a broad range of human experience and activity. This volume corrects some of the common misperceptions about international judges, while providing a balanced introduction to both the strengths and shortcomings of their work. As they rule on crucial issues of war and peace, human rights, and trade, in addition to high-profile criminal trials, international judges are playing a critical role in developments that will affect world affairs for years to come. Based on interviews with more than 30 international judges, this volume is the first comprehensive portrait of the men and women in this new global profession. The working environment of international judges is closely examined in courts around the world, highlighting the challenge of carrying out work in multiple languages, in the context of intricate bureaucratic hierarchies, and with a necessary interdependence between judges and their courts' administration. Arguing that international judges have to balance their responsibilities as interpreters of the law and as global professionals, the authors discuss the challenges of working in the fluid circumstances of international courts. Profiles of five individual judges provide insight into the experience and dilemmas of the men and women on the international bench.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction
List of Abbreviations
International Courts: An Overview	p. 1
International Judges: Who Are They and How Do They Get on the Courts?	p. 15
Profile:Navanethem Pillay, Judge of the International Criminal Court	p. 39
Inside the Courts	p. 49
Profile: Thomas Buergenthal, Judge of the International Court of Justice	p. 92
International Judges and International Law	p. 102
Profile: Georges Abi-Saab, Member of the World Trade Organization Appellate Body	p. 131
Between Law and Politics	p. 147
Profile: Cecilia Medina Quiroga, Judge of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights	p. 180
Tests of Character	p. 191
Profile:John Hedigan, Judge of the European Court of Human Rights	p. 212
Conclusion	p. 221
Basics of International Courts	p. 236
Judges Interviewed for This Book	p. 246
Commonalities and Differences between the Civil Law and the Common Law Legal Traditions	p. 248
Acknowledgments	p. 253
Notes	p. 257
Bibliography	p. 285
Index	p. 301
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