This ground-breaking book challenges legal orthodoxy, presenting an original approach to the treatment of islands in international law. It offers a new perspective on how to define islands in international law, questioning how they differ from other maritime features. It focuses on the contextual factors that bear upon the legal treatment of islands, recognising that, in practice, islands have varied and unequal impacts and arguing that greater focus on context is needed to understand legal outcomes, particularly those concerning maritime boundary delimitation. Addressing the impact of rising sea levels on the interests and rights of islands and the increasing construction of artificial islands, the authors make the case for a major change in approach to the topic. This book offers international lawyers a thought-provoking reappraisal of a vital issue. It will be a useful resource for human geography and international relations scholars wishing to deepen their understanding of a key politically-contested and increasingly pressing debate in international law.

This innovative book extensively probes and reveals the existence of legal fictions in international law, developing a theory of their effectiveness and legitimacy. Reece Lewis argues that, since legal fictions exist in all systems and types of law, international law is no different and deserves discrete, detailed examination. The book considers the implications of the phenomenon, showing that while some international legal fictions are problematic, others can assist the application of international law through maintaining a coherent, stable and peaceful international legal order. The author identifies and critically analyses a host of international legal fictions and explores, in detail, the factors that determine their effectiveness. Chapters answer key questions such as: what is a legal fiction?, How do they exist in international law?, Should international law use legal fictions? and many more. Shedding light on a subject that is of contemporary relevance and importance, Legal Fictions in International Law will be an informative read for academics, researchers and students in international law, legal theory and public policy.