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"The International System–International Society Distinction" published on by Oxford University Press.

Analysis and studying of the terrorism in all its facets is a complex entangled problem with less clear legal regulation that it might seem at first glance, especially after its transformation from local phenomenon into a world threat. Hitherto terrorism and actions connected to it have been criminalized by the majority of states. There are in modern criminal law whole systems of rules on criminal liability for terrorism which differs considerably from country to country. Terrorism has been criminalized in numerous international regional and universal antiterrorist legal instruments. The author notes that differences in definitions that are enshrined in them hinders international cooperation in criminal matters with respect to terrorist cases. Difficulties reside in the necessity to meet the dual criminality requirement and in the political offense exception. These difficulties can only be overcome through elaboration of a universally recognized definition of the notion of international terrorism and making it legally binding via its inclusion into a universal convention. The issue of definition of international terrorism is an important part of an efficient mutual assistance among states in fight against this crime. In this article the author accounts of actual ways of tackling by the international community of the issue of criminalization of international terrorism and of factors influencing them.

"Eine Ausdehnung des Selbstverteidigungsrechts auf 'vorbeugende Verteidigung' ist unnötig. Das bestehende Völkerrecht bietet einen hinreichenden Rahmen, um dem internationalen Terrorismus zu begegnen. Unilaterale Antworten sind kontraproduktiv, denn sie spielen dem terroristischen Angriff auf die internationale Ordnung in die Hände." (Autorenreferat)

"This book assesses how international law and its institutions may be relevant and influence the course of international relations, in other words the relationship between power and law. This is done in relation to five regimes; international trade, environmental protection, human rights, criminal justice and use of force. The majority of international law literature focuses on the content of international rules (i.e. regimes) but has a tendency to ignore why these regimes exist and to what extent the rules actually affect state behaviour. The assumption is that states follow international law when the reality sometimes tells us differently. Turning to international relations literature, some scholars as represented in their publications focus on theories based on the distribution of power among states and ignore the existence and relevance of international law. In contrast, Power and Law in International Society examines theories of international relations, international law and formal institutions as well as an account of empirical research on the relevance of international law for the behaviour of states. This book has three main themes. First, the book will explain the foundations of international society from an inter-disciplinary perspective relaying on legal studies as well as international relations. Second, the book will examine variations in the degree of legalization in terms of obligation, precision, delegation and state acceptance. Finally, the book will give an account of the empirical research on the relevance of international law for the behaviour of states. This book will be of great interest to scholars of international law and international relations."--

The purpose of this essay is twofold. First, it proposes to undertake, in introductory form, one of the many tasks a historical sociology of international relations could perform: the comparative study of one of those relations which appear in almost any international system, i.e., international law. Secondly, this essay will try to present the rudimentary outlines of a theory of international law which might be called sociological or functional.International law is one of the aspects of international politics which reflect most sharply the essential differences between domestic and world affairs. Many traditional distinctions tend to disappear, owing to an "international civil war" which projects what are primarily domestic institutions (such as parliaments and pressure groups) into world politics, and injects world-wide ideological clashes into domestic affairs. International law, like its Siamese twin and enemy, war, remains a crystallization of all that keeps world politics sui generis. If theory is to be primarily concerned with the distinctive features of systems rather than wim the search for regularities, international law becomes a most useful approach to international politics.