Crawford, J., Brownlie's Principles of Public International Law, Ninth Edition, 2019

Brownlie's Principles of Public International Law has been shaping the study and application of international law for over 50 years. Serving as a single-volume introduction to the field as a whole, the book is one of the classic treatises on international law, now fully updated to order to take account of recent developments. It includes extensive references in order to provide a solid foundation for further research. Authored by James Crawford, the ninth edition further secures the work as the essential international law text for students and practitioners.

  • One of the classic treatises on international law, wholly updated in order to take account of recent developments
  • Comprehensive coverage of the field, presenting the system of international law and its constituent elements in a clear and accessible fashion
  • Widely referred to by courts, practitioners, and scholars, focusing on the issues as presented in practice today, including before international courts and tribunals

New to this Edition:

  • Decisions of the International Court (e.g. Whaling in the Antarctic, the Marshall Islands cases, Peru v Chile; Somalia v Kenya; Costa Rica v Nicaragua; Bolivia v Chile)
  • Recent decisions on the law of the sea and the status of islands (Arctic Sunrise; Croatia/Slovenia; South China Sea; Bangladesh/India; Ghana/Ivory Coast; Timor Leste/Australia (Conciliation))
  • Decisions of senior national courts in the US (e.g. Bank Markazi v Peterson; Daimler AG v Bauman; Jesner v Arab Bank; Kiobel v Royal Dutch Petroleum), the UK (e.g. Al-Saadoon v SSD; Belhaj v Straw; Freedom and Justice Party; Rahmatullah; Miller v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union; Benkharbouche v Sudan), the Netherlands (Mothers of Srebrenica; Urgenda Foundation), the Russian Federation (Anchukov & Gladkov v Russia) and elsewhere
  • Recent ILC work (including Conclusions on Identification of Customary International Law, and Subsequent Practice in relation to the Interpretation of Treaties)
  • Plus discussion of developments in the fields of climate change, diplomatic asylum (the Assange stand-off), international criminal law and the ICC, immunities of senior state officials, investment arbitration, corporate social responsibility, and the use of force by and against non-state actors

Reviews and Awards

"Its case-references and notes apparatus are excellent and the overall view it opens to early 21st century international law has an unparalleled combination of depth and width ... the most impressive English-language textbook available." - Martti Koskenniemi, British Yearbook of International Law (review of the eighth edition)

"Brownlie's Principles has established itself as a book of real value and authority for students, academics and practitioners." - Samuel Wordsworth, Cambridge Journal of International and Comparative Law (review of the eighth edition)

"[T]his is a very impressive work, wide-ranging in scope and nuanced in content, just as one would expect ... delivering what seems to be at the moment the best single-author English-language international law textbook. It is highly recommended, both as a student text and as a persuasive authority for the practice of international law." - Martins Paparinskis, International and Comparative Law Quarterly (review of the eighth edition)