Mapping the Debate with Oxford Public International Law

[Last updated September 2018]

International lawyers are fortunate to be well-served by a number of very well informed and thoughtful blogs, which are making a lasting contribution to scholarship. This increase in scholarly commentary, although a huge benefit to lawyers and scholars, can become rather difficult and time consuming to keep track of. With this in mind, the editors of Oxford Public International Law have created a series of debate maps indexing discussions by scholars on the public international law aspects of these major debates. Information on these debate maps can be found below.

Jump to a specific map, or browse below.

Armed Conflict and the Use of Force in Syria | South and East China Seas | Brexit | Israel/Gaza Wars: 2008 – 2014 | Ukraine Use of Force | High Profile Prosecutions at the ICC

	UK/Russia Dispute | Read the Map
Oxford Public International Law contains a range of scholarly commentary that shed light on the international legal arguments stemming from the UK Government’s claim that the incident in Salisbury on 4 March 2018 “represents an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom”.

	Armed conflict and use of force in Syria | Read the Map Created by Vito Todeschini, Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Trento, School of International Studies and John Louth, Editor-in-Chief for Academic Law at Oxford University Press.
This index maps scholarly commentary on the legal issues surrounding the armed conflict in Syria, as well as the public international law aspects (but not domestic constitutional law) of the use of force against and in Syria published in English language legal blogs and newspapers (and some very recent journal articles).

Legal Resources on the South and East China Seas | Read the Map Created by Alexander Wentker, Brasenose College, University of Oxford, and John Louth, Editor-in-Chief for Academic Law at Oxford University Press.

The Disputes in the South and East China Seas Debate Map charts scholarly commentary on the international law aspects of the conflicts in and around the South China and East China Seas, including maritime boundary disputes, the question of sovereignty over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, China’s announcement of an Air Defence Identification Zone, and the Philippines/China UNCLOS arbitration. It brings together primary documents with discussions in English-language legal blogs and a selection of journal articles.

Brexit | Read the Map

The Brexit debate map indexes analysis of and information about the legal consequences of the Brexit, focusing specifically on the mechanics of leaving the EU and the impact on EU citizens in the UK and British citizens in the EU—as well as on trade, the environment, and human rights protection in the UK. The map also includes analysis of treaty withdrawal generally under international law and the extent to which obligations, particularly in the fields of human rights and trade, can be said to continue even after a state’s exit from a treaty. The collection includes blog posts, papers prepared by the UK government, legal advice issued by leading lawyers, journal articles, and book chapters. Its purpose is to collect together legal analysis of the consequences of the Brexit under international law and EU law.

	Israel-Gaza Wars 2008-2014 | Read the Map
This index maps scholarly commentary on the international law aspects of the armed conflict(s) between Israel and Gaza since Israel withdrew from the territory. Sources in the map include commentary published in English language law blogs and newspapers.

	Ukraine Use of Force | Read the Map
The Ukraine Use of Force Debate Map charts scholarly commentary on the legal arguments regarding the public international law (and some domestic constitutional law) aspects of the use of force in Ukraine, published in English language legal blogs and newspapers, and content from OUP’s online services.

High-profile prosecutions at the International Criminal Court | Read the Map

This index maps scholarly commentary on the international law aspects of a number of high-profile prosecutions at the International Criminal Court, including those of Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy-President William Ruto, and Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir. The map looks specifically at questions of immunity, the obligation to arrest and surrender, the impact of Kenya’s possible withdrawal from the Rome Statute, and Ruto’s and Kenyatta’s obligations to be present throughout their trials. It brings together discussions in English-language legal blogs and a selection of journal articles.