| Domestic System of Law | International System of Law |
| Under it, law is above individuals. | Under it, law is between states and not above states. |
| Individuals don’t create the law. | States’ create the law. |
| It is a “law of subordination”. | It is a “law of coordination”. Note- As no one (states) is above each other, it is believed that there is difficulty in its enforcement. |
It is also imperative to note that contrary to popular belief, “States do observe international law and violations are comparatively rare”.
Q. What is the need of International Law (Horizontal Law)?
- Public International Law, hereinafter (PIL), provides a regulatory framework or rules of network within which the game can be played and PIL fulfills that requirement.
- States’ feels this necessity because it imports an element of “stability and predictability” into the situation.
- PIL provides a common frame of reference and therefore one state will be aware of how the other state will develop its arguments; it constitutes a mutually understandable vocabulary book and suggests possible solutions which follows from a study of its principles.
- PIL is not everything, but it helps states to conduct their business together in an easy manner.
- Example- The Americans justified their activities in Cuba and Vietnam by relying on PIL.
Note-> States’ mostly observe international law and only violates it to protect their vital interests.
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