ABSTRACT
The surprising thing about international law is that nations ever obey its strictures or carry out its mandates. 2
Public international law appears to be quite a well articulated and complete legal order even though it is difficult to locate the authoritative origin or substantive voice of the system in any particular area. Each doctrine seems to free ride somewhat on this overall systemic image. … Thus the variety of references among these discursive areas always shrewdly locate the moment of authority and the application in practice elsewhere – perhaps behind us in process or before us in the institutions of dispute resolution. 3
