General Principles of Law

Definition of General Principles of Law

In accordance with the work A Dictionary of Law, this is a description of General Principles of Law : According to the Statute of the *International Court of Justice, the source for rules of international law can be found in what it terms “General Principles of Law”. The majority of Western jurists consider that these principles should be based on those underlying the municipal legal systems of civilized states, especially those of Europe and the USA. These jurists also consider the general principles to be a law-creating source that is independent of either treaties or custom. Due to their possible bias towards certain Western capitalist countries, these propositions have proved highly contentious in the Third World and Socialist countries, which have endeavoured to limit the scope of the principles.

General Principles of Law in International Economic Law

This section provides an overview of general principles of law within the legal context of Sources of Law in international economic law .

Resources

Further Reading

• Georges Abi-Saab, “General Principles of Law in International Economic Law,” Elgar Encyclopedia of International Economic Law, Cheltenham Glos (United Kingdom), Northampton, MA (United States)