Compatibility in the Law of Treaties and Stability in International Law
In: The British yearbook of international law
ISSN: 2044-9437
Abstract
Questions concerning 'compatibility' in the law of treaties have been at the heart of international disputes in recent years. The answers to these questions can have potentially significant repercussions for several areas of international co-operation. A fundamental premise of international law operates in the background to courts' and tribunals' approach to questions regarding compatibility in the law of treaties: the idea that, where possible, existing treaty relations should remain in place. That objective of maintaining stable treaty relations, while infrequently articulated, is central to the legal and political relations among states. This article explores the ways in which the concept of compatibility in the law of treaties is informed by that objective.