Part III The Limitations and Role of the Persistent Objector Rule, Conclusion

Subject(s):

History of international law — Choice of law — Conflict of laws — Customary international law — General principles of international law — Sources of international law

This concluding chapter looks back at the issues outlined here. This book has presented a detailed account of the persistent objector rule seeking to assess the rule's existence and limitations and value in depth. However, this investigation can only go so far. This is because, like customary international law itself, the persistent objector rule has inherent uncertainties at its core. We cannot provide precise answers to at least some of the key questions concerning how the rule functions — for example, exactly how persistent and consistent the objection needs to be — because, in relation to these sorts of questions, there are no precise answers to give. It is hoped, however, that this book has helped to increase the general understanding of this often misunderstood rule. The book, the conclusion states, has aimed to go beyond the scholarly examinations of the rule and to focus on persistent objection ‘in action’ in state practice.