ABSTRACT
The plurality of courts, tribunals and legal proceedings in the international order has become an intrinsic characteristic of international dispute settlement. At the end of the 1990s, the perceived risks associated with plurality started to attract more debate. The chapter aims to throw light on the whys and wherefores of plurality in the international legal order. Drawing observations from the recent practice and trends in international litigation, the chapter demonstrates that States actively use plurality to resolve their disputes. Moreover, the plurality of international courts and tribunals, and the ensuing number of international legal proceedings, has increasingly led to fruitful interaction among the international courts and tribunals. The chapter also underlines the importance of judicial dialogue and the use of procedural law tools to coordinate and manage the perceived risks of plurality. The emphasis is also placed on the role of judicial actors and stakeholders of the international dispute settlement system in the plural world of international courts and tribunals.
