International law is the order of the day. From war crimes trials to the Kyoto Protocol, from human rights to disputes over arcane trade regulations, international law is constantly in the news. But does this mean that we are living in a more law-governed world? On the one hand, more and more states seem willing to waive their sovereign rights in favour of international tribunals and regulatory bodies. Throughout Europe, citizens increasingly regard Strasbourg as the highest court of appeal. On the other hand, many people fear that the unilateral policies of Britain and America, from Iraq to the ‘legal black hole’ of Guantanamo, threaten to sabotage international law and organisation. Should we place our hopes for a benign and peaceful world order in the development of international law? How do we explain the contradiction between the expansion of international law, and its repeated infringement? Why are more and more domestic issues being elevated into the domain of international law?

Chair: Philip Cunliffe, PhD Student in War Studies, King's College London

Professor Philippe Sands QC, Professor of International Law, University College London, author of Lawless World: Making and Breaking Global Rules

Professor David Chandler, Professor of International Relations, University of Westminster, author of Empire in Denial: The Politics of State-Building

Douglas Murray, editor Policy Forum, author of Neoconservatism: Why We Need It