ThisadditiontotheElementsofInternationalLawseriesexplorestheroleofinternationallawasanintegralpartoftheRussianlegalsystem,withparticularreferencetotheroleofinternationaltreatiesandofgenerally-recognizedprinciplesandnormsofinternationallaw.FollowingadiscussionofthehistoricalplaceoftreatiesinRussianlegalhistoryandthesourcesoftheRussianlawoftreaties,thebookstrikesnewgroundinexploringcontemporarytreaty-makingintheRussianFederationbydrawinguponsourcesnotbelievedtohavebeenpreviouslyusedinRussianorwesterndoctrinalwritings.Specialattentionisdevotedtoinvestmentprotectiontreaties.TheimportanceofpublishingtreatiesasaconditionoftheirapplicationbyRussiancourtsisexplored.ForthefirsttimeadetailedaccountisgivenoftheconstitutionalhistoryoftreatyratificationinRussia,theoutcomebeingthatpresentconstitutionalpracticeisinconsistentwiththedraftinghistoryoftherelevantconstitutionalprovisions.ThevolumegivesattentiontotheroleoftheRussianSupremeCourtindevelopingtreatypracticethroughtheissuanceof“guidingdocuments“bindingonlowercourts,thereactionoftheRussianConstitutionalCourttojudgmentsoftheEuropeanCourtofHumanRights,andtheplaceoftreatiesasanintegralpartoftheRussianlegalsystem.Butlerfurtherexploresthehierarchyofsourcesoflaw,togetherwithotherfacetsofRussianarbitralandjudicialpracticewithrespecttotreatiesandothersourcesofinternationallaw.Heconcludeswithaconsiderationofthe’generally-recognizedprinciplesandnormsofinternationallaw’andtheirroleaspartoftheRussiansystem.
INTERNATIONAL LAW LEGAL SYSTEM
