ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part considers folk law only in the context of individual states or countries. The treatment of envoys and diplomats, that is, individuals representing one country while residing in another, has been a matter of concern ever since the rise of nation-states. Questions of diplomatic immunity, asylum, prisoner exchange, not to mention rules for the conduct of war or rules of the road for ships at sea in international waters are also the subject of folk law. As the world shrinks in size through modern communications and transportation systems, the need for international agreement on a variety of problems and issues becomes ever more acute. Bilateral and multilateral treaties constitute one way of creating the order necessary for smooth international functioning, but folk law is another.
