This book contains a collection of essays by leading experts linked to the outstanding characteristics of the scholar in honour of whom it is published, Tullio Treves, who combines his academic background with his practical experiences of a negotiator of international treaties and a judge of an international tribunal. It covers international public and private law related to international courts and the development of international law.

Under Article 38 of its Statute, the International Court of Justice can apply judicial decisions only as a subsidiary means for the determination of rules of law . However, there are many reasons to believe that international courts and tribunals do play quite an important role in the progressive development of international law. There are a number of decisions which are inevitably recalled as the first step, or a decisive step, in the process of the formation of a new rule of customary international law. In these cases, can the judge be considered as a subsidiary of others? Are these cases compatible with the common belief that a judge cannot create law? Is this a peculiarity of international law, which is characterized by the existence of several courts but the lack of a legislator? Do decisions by different courts lead to the consequence of a fragmented international law? This volume provides the reader with an elaboration of various questions linked to the legislative role of courts.

In their choices of subjects, some contributors have taken into account the general aspects of the development of international rules through court decisions or specific sectors of international law, such as human rights, international crimes, international economic law, environmental law and the law of the sea. Others have chosen the subject of the rules on jurisdiction and procedure of international courts. The question of the courts role in the development of areas of law different from public international law, namely private international law and European Union law, has also been considered.

The information and views contained in this book will be of great value to academics, students, judges, practitioners and all others interested in the public and private international law aspects of the link between international courts and the development of international law.

Traditional means of international dispute settlement have proved to be largely ineffective in ensuring the effectiveness of international environmental law. Thus, states are increasingly creating regime-specific systems to control, facilitate and assist the implementation of and compliance with each multilateral environmental agreement. By bringing together the perspectives of scholars, negotiators and practitioners, this book provides a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the most advanced of these systems, the so-called "non-compliance mechanisms", in which a specialized treaty body is entrusted with the task of examining cases of non-compliance by State parties. Included are descriptions of each mechanism and an analysis of cross-cutting issues. It also explains how these systems relate to relevant concepts and mechanisms of general international law and, for the first time, of European Union law. The book is a valuable source of information and recommended reading for academics, practitioners, civil servants, NGOs and all those interested in public international law, EC law and environmental law. Tullio Treves is a Judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and Professor of International Law at the University of Milan; Laura Pineschi is Professor of International Law at the University of Parma; Attila Tanzi is Professor of International Law at the University of Bologna and Chairperson of the Compliance Committee of the Protocol on Water and Health; Cesare Pitea is Aggregate Professor of International and European Law at the University of Parma; Chiara Ragni is a Senior Researcher in International Law at the University of Milan; and Francesca Romanin Jacur is a Post-doc Researcher in International Law at the University of Milan and Legal Adviser to the Italian Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea in a project of the University of Siena.

Families in Europe are increasingly shaped by the mobility of persons and multicultural backgrounds. This book is focusing on the protection of children in cross-border situations. What are the fundamental rights of children in transnational families, what is in their 'best interest', and how can their rights be safeguarded? There is much controversy on these rights and the accompanying uncertainty has resulted in considerable practical difficulties for those trying to implement them. In order to provide a clearer scope and insights into the nature of children's fundamental rights and their best interests, this book examines solutions provided by both EU and international law to the questions raised by the increasing incidence of transnational families as regards the protection of minors. It covers both substantive and conflict-of-laws rules. Differences in the substantive family laws of Member States still prevent an effective protection of the child or its family unit. This includes cases of migration, asylum, forced marriage, kafalah, but also rainbow families. Further, the role of human rights (mutual recognition of status and surrogacy agreements, adoption) and procedural rights (child abduction, Brussels II bis recast) in cross-border cases must be considered carefully. Fundamental Rights and the Best Interest of the Child in Transnational Families is a timely work on the implementation of the child's interests in the EU and covers the most relevant topics emerging from the rapid internationalisation of child and family law and from the increased mobility of families.