Diagnostic test

. How can the structure of the international society be displayed?

The structure of the international society follows the vertical model of the domestic legal orders

International society consists of a constellation of sovereign States and other international organizations, which are dispersed in a rather horizontal order of authority

International society is so anarchical that there is no order of authority, neither vertical nor horizontal

The structure of the international society resembles the structure of the most powerful nations in the world

. Is there any hierarchy or priority among States under international law?

Yes, the States that were the founding members of the United Nations are vested with more powers and authority

Yes, the Permanent Five Members of the UN Security Council (UK, USA, France, Russia, China) are in a superior position than the other States

No, all States are considered equal as sovereign States (the principle of sovereign equality, enshrined in article 2, para 1 UN Charter)

Whether there will be any hierarchy among States is a matter of each international organization to decide

. Which are the formal sources of international law?

Custom, treaties and judicial decisions

Custom, general principles of law and theory

Treaties, custom and general principles of law

Treaties, custom and General Assembly Resolutions

. Which treaties are considered as 'source of international law' under article 38 ICJ Statute?

All treaties that are in force at the time of the dispute

Only the treaties that are in force and binding upon the parties to the dispute

All treaties that have been concluded between the parties to the dispute, regardless whether they are in force

Only treaties that are multilateral and of paramount significance

. What is a 'treaty' according to the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT)?

Treaties are all agreements concluded between States, international organizations and non-State entities (e.g. corporations)

Treaties are agreements concluded between States in written form and governed by international law

Treaties are both the written and oral agreements between States

Treaties are agreements concluded between States in written form governed either by international or domestic law

. Should treaties assume a particular form?

Treaties should always be designated as such and assume a particular form

Treaties should always assume a particular form, no matter how they are designated

Treaties do not have to assume a particular form or designated as such

Treaties have to be designated as such, no matter what form they assume

. Can countries rely on their domestic law as an excuse to violate their obligations under international law?

Domestic law always prevails over international law

Only customary international law prevails over domestic law

Obligations under international law prevail over domestic law

Constitutional obligations always prevail over obligations under international law

. What is the fundamental premise of monist theory?

Monism posits that international law is superior to domestic laws

Monism posits that international and domestic law are part of the same legal order

Monism posits that domestic laws are superior to international law

Monism posits that domestic and international law never clash

. What is the meaning of international legal personality?

It means that only States are considered subjects of international law

It means having rights and duties under international law and a capacity to enforce these by or against the relevant actor

It means that an entity may challenge the authority of States

It is a term that is meant to denote legal, as opposed, to physical persons under international law

. What are the criteria for statehood under the 1933 Montevideo Convention?

It requires that the entity in question is not an aggressor and that it is peaceful

It requires recognition by the majority of other nations

It requires a permanent population, a defined territory, a government and a capacity to enter into foreign relations

It requires stable and indissoluble borders as well as recognition

. What is the ordinary geographical scope of jurisdiction?

Jurisdiction is ordinarily extra-territorial

Jurisdiction is ordinarily on the high seas

Jurisdiction is ordinarily territorial

Jurisdiction is determined by the location of the offender.

. Which State ordinarily exercises jurisdiction in respect of crimes committed on board vessels?

The coastal State

The flag State

All States enjoy such jurisdiction

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

. What is the purpose of sovereign immunity?

The purpose of immunity is to protect foreign Heads of State from embarrassment

Immunity protects a State from being invaded by another

Immunity shields States from being sued in the courts of other States

The purpose of immunity is to offer impunity in respect of all crimes

. What is an act jure imperii?

An act is jure imperii when undertaken by an international organisation

An act is jure imperii when undertaken in an official State capacity

All acts undertaken by State officials are acts jure imperii

An act is jure imperii when undertaken by a State corporation

. What is the purpose of baselines under the law of the sea?

The determination of baselines is used for the measuring of the internal waters of coastal States

The determination of baselines is instrumental to the establishment of all maritime zones, since they constitute the starting point for measuring the breadth of each zone

The determination of baselines is instrumental to the safe navigation of vessels on the high seas

Baselines are drawn only in cases of maritime delimitation between opposing State before an international court or tribunal

. Which is a 'rock'under the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)?

Rocks are the islands that are less than 10 square miles

Rocks are the islands that do not have any maritime zone

Rocks are the islands which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own and according to article 121 (3) have no Exclusive Economic Zone or continental shelf.

Rocks are the small islands that can sustain human habitation

. What is the meaning of 'secondary rules' in the law of international responsibility?

Secondary rules are the rules of interpretation of international law, including the law of international responsibility

Secondary rules are the rules that govern the legal consequences arising from a breach of the primary rules, ie of the international obligations of the States

Secondary rules are the rules that govern exclusively the concept of attribution in the law of international responsibility

Secondary rules are the rules that govern exclusively the law of countermeasures

. What is an 'internationally wrongful conduct'?

An international wrongful conduct is an action or omission which is in breach of a rule of international criminal law

An international wrongful conduct is every breach of an international obligation of the State, whether attributable to it or not

An internationally wrongful conduct consists of an action or omission attributable to the State, which constitutes a breach of an international obligation of the State

An internationally wrongful conduct is the conduct that cannot be excused on grounds of necessity, force majeure etc.

. What is the obligation of the peaceful settlement of disputes?

It is an obligation of result, that is, States are under a strict obligation to resolve their disputes as soon as possible

It is an obligation of conduct, ie States have an obligation to try to resolve their disputes through peaceful means. This does not entail an obligation to resolve their disputes

It is a peremptory norm of international law and all States have a legal interest to safeguard its application in any given dispute

It is an obligation which concerns solely international courts and tribunals

. Is there any hierarchy or priority among the various methods of peaceful settlement of disputes?

Yes, all the political methods (e.g. negotiation, mediation, inquiry, conciliation) should be exhausted prior to resorting to legal methods

Legal methods prevail over the political methods, since they are binding upon the parties

There is no hierarchy among these methods and the choice belongs to the disputing States

It is a matter of an impartial third party to decide which method will have priority over the other

. Was the use of armed force permitted prior to the United Nations Charter?

Armed force was prohibited

Armed force was permitted with no restrictions

Armed force was permitted subject to few restrictions

Armed force was not regulated under international law prior to 1945

. What types of force does Article 2(4) of the UN Charter prohibit?

Article 2(4) encompasses only armed force

Article 2(4) encompasses all types of force, including sanctions

Article 2(4) encompasses all interference in the domestic affairs of States

Article 2(4) encompasses force directed only against a State's territorial integrity

. What is the function of "standard-setting in human rights diplomacy?

Standard-setting means putting forward binding legal standards

Standard-setting means merely proposing binding legal standards

Standard-setting means putting forward non-binding legal standards

Standard-setting means setting certain standards of conduct in human rights treaties

. What is the legal nature of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)?

The UDHR is a multilateral treaty

The UDHR is a UN General Assembly resolution

The UDHR is a UN Security Council resolution

The UDHR is a declaration adopted by several States at an international conference

. What is the context required for a person to be liable for a grave breach?

Generalised armed violence within a state

Prior pronouncement by an international court or the UN Security Council

The existence of an international armed conflict as defined under common Article 2 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions

An internal armed conflict

. What are the key elements of crimes against humanity?

Widespread crimes against civilians

A widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population with intention

A systematic and well planned attack against non-combatants

An attack with intention to destroy a civilian population

Diagnostic test

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