ABSTRACT
The legal system of the United Kingdom is generally regarded as taking a dualist approach to international law obligations, requiring that international law obligations affecting the state must first be incorporated into domestic law by domestic statute before they can give rise to any rights or obligations for individuals on the domestic plane, or be enforced in the UK’s courts. However, a closer examination, particularly in the sphere of internationally recognized human rights, reveals that the UK’s approach is a hybrid one, with international law obligations arising under treaties capable of having some effect even before they are fully incorporated into domestic law, and customary international law being of direct application in many cases.
