Complicity and the Law of State Responsibility

Helmut Philipp Aust author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:1st Sep '11

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

This hardback is available in another edition too:

Complicity and the Law of State Responsibility cover

A timely analysis of State complicity in international law, which takes an innovative rule-of-law perspective.

This systematic analysis of the international rules on complicit States in controversial cases such as the 2003 Iraq war or the detention of terrorist suspects combines analysis of international practice with a rule of law approach and demonstrates that international law provides for rules on State complicity.This systematic analysis of State complicity in international law focuses on the rules of State responsibility. Combining a theoretical perspective on complicity based on the concept of the international rule of law with a thorough analysis of international practice, Helmut Philipp Aust establishes what forms of support for wrongful conduct entail responsibility of complicit States and sheds light on the consequences of complicity in terms of reparation and implementation. Furthermore, he highlights how international law provides for varying degrees of responsibility in cases of complicity, depending on whether peremptory norms have been violated or special subject areas such as the law of collective security are involved. The book shows that the concept of State complicity is firmly grounded in international law, and that the international rule of law may serve as a conceptual paradigm for today's international legal order.

'It was high time for an academic treatment of this fundamental issue for the international legal order. A decisive contribution in this regard has now been made by Helmut Philipp Aust … The history, content, structure and international legal context of the norm are analysed by the author in a comprehensive and precise manner. This is also true for the conflicts between law, morals and politics which impact upon the development and interpretation of the rule on complicity. Aust takes the position of a carefully balancing pragmatist who clearly identifies international legal deficits, but refrains from moral rigour. In general, the book excels in its high relevance to practice.' Translated from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
'… a structured and insightful analysis of this area of international law and … a timely examination of the subject … Due to its breadth, depth of coverage, and systematic analysis, Aust's work will likely become regarded as an important treatise on state complicity.' Nathaniel Yong-Ern Khng, Yale Journal of International Law
'… excellent … Aust provides a comprehensive examination of state practice as it relates to complicity, along with a thought-provoking theoretical discussion of where the concept might fit within the current and future development of international law.' Michael Byers, European Journal of International Law
'… essential for understanding the notion of complicity … The discussions in the book rest on an impressive range of material and on rigorous reasoning, the whole being written in a direct and engaging style. Reading of this book is to be recommended to everyone interested in the law of international responsibility.' Olivier Corten, translated from Revue Belge de Droit International

  • Winner of Hermann Mosler Prize, German Society for International Law 2013

ISBN: 9781107010727

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 29mm

Weight: 860g

522 pages