Brownlie's principles of public international law: an assessment

Abstract

The first edition of Professor Ian Brownlie’s Principles of Public International Law was published in 1966. It is now in its fifth edition. The book covers the major aspects of the law of peace. Its structure has not greatly changed since the first edition. It is well established as a student textbook and it is a work of authority. The book is well known for its disavowal of the treatment of the basis of obligation in international law, though Brownlie has made some remarks about his position in other writings. The paper considers whether the structure of the book has stood the test of time, both in relation to changes in international law and in the law school syllabuses in the United Kingdom. It then addresses Brownlie’s foray into theory and whether it sits well with the account of the law presented in the book. It concludes that it does not do so in all respects and that it leaves one very big question unanswered.