University of Sydney Law School Library

Pathfinder - International Law

CONTENTS Introduction Using the catalogue Collections of treaties (full text) and indexing tools Law reports Other useful sources Subject specific and historical indexes Useful texts Audio and video recordings Looseleaf services Some useful Internet sources Current bibliographies Journal indexes International law journals held in the Law Library Dictionaries and encyclopaedias Fellow travellers Dictionaries of legal abbreviations Not held, try ... Further reading Frequently asked questions

Introduction

This pathfinder focuses primarily on law library and web resources relating to public international law, with some references to conflict of laws (also known as private international law) Please note the focus in the "Useful Texts" section is on Australian works.

Using the catalogue

The University of Sydney Library Web Catalogue is located at: http://www.library.usyd.edu.au/catalogue Searching for library resources:

• Combined Author/Title option: quickest way to find an item if you know the author and title,
  use the Author or Title options only if you know the exact forms,
  subject option - yields only items catalogued under prescribed subject headings (ie Library of Congress headings).
  if you do not know these, use:
  keyword option (words from the title.....) - usually yields more hits as it searches the author, subject headings,titles and series. subject keyword is also useful

Possible terms or phrases worth searching in addition to international law include: maritime law, law of the sea; laws of armed conflict; international human rights; extradition; aviation law; maritime law; environmental law (and its various sub-headings, such as antarctica). For a complete list of headings related to international law, look at the list provided on OPAC.

Collections of treaties (full text) and indexing tools

• The United Nations Treaty Series (UNTS) deals with bilateral and multilateral treaties. According to the United Nations Charter, every treaty entered into by any of its members should be registered with the UN. Location: International Law Collection, on the Phillip Street side of Level 10.
  Web: <http://untreaty.un.org/>

  Human rights treaties are also available free of charge through the Commissioner for Human Rights' website:
  http://www.unhchr.ch.htm

• Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Multilaterals Project.
  <http://fletcher.tufts.edu/multilaterals.html>
  This began in 1992 and aims to make available the texts of international multilateral conventions and other instruments. Includes primarily materials post 1950 but also includes some historical material from the 17th Century.
• The Australian Treaty Series (ATS) is the official source of treaties entered into by Australia. Each issue contains the text of one treaty.
  Location: International Law Collection, on the Phillip St side of Level 10.
  Current issues are on the Current Serials shelves on Level 8, to the right of the Library entrance.
  Look under: Australia.Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Australian Treaty Series.
  Web: AustLII hosts the Australian Treaties database (full text) 1939- at:
  <http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/>

• The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) publishes:
  • Treaty Action as ATS No 1 for each year.This lists treaties in numerical order for that year and is used to update ATS from 1990 onwards.
    Location: International Law Collection, on the Phillip St side of Level 10
    Web: AustLII at :
    <http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/>
  • Select Documents on International Affairs which contains the texts of international treaties and conventions drawn up for a particular year but which did not enter into force for Australia during a particular year. Includes only those treaties and conventions drawn up at conferences in which Australia participated.
    Location: Fisher Library has full holdings whereas the Law Library has only irregular holdings. Many treaties and conventions are appended to federal and state statutes.
    Web: AustLII at :
    <http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/>

Other treaty series held on Level 10 in the International Law Collection. These only refer to treaties entered into force.

• Great Britain Treaty Series.
• New Zealand Treaty Series.
• League of Nation's Treaty Series.
• Collections of the Agreements concluded by the European Communities. Gives full texts of agreements and Community Acts concluding them.
• Consolidated Treaty Series (Parry's Treaties) 1648-1919.

Indexes to treaties include the following:

• Bowman & Harris -Multilateral treaties: index and current status plus supplement, 1984 and cumulative supplement 1992.This English tool offers "status information about the main multilateral treaties, whether they are in force or not and whoever the parties are."
  Location: Law Ref 341.0265/1.

• Treaties in Force (US): A list of treaties and other international agreements of the United States in force until 1 January 1994.

• Multilateral Treaties deposited with the Secretary-General (UN).
  Location: Level 10.

• Rohn, PH World Treaty Index, Santa Barbara, Calif, ABC-Clio, 1983. Includes Main entry section; party index and keyword index.
  Location: Law Ref 341.026 5A/1.

See also:

Australia. Senate. Legal and Constitutional References Committee. Trick or treaty? - Commonwealth power to make and implement treaties, Chair: Senator C. Ellinson, 1995.
Web:
<http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/reports/tortcon.html>
Also: The Government response to the Senate Legal and Constitutional References Committee Report "Trick or treaty?"
Web:
<http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/reports/infokit.html#6>

Rengger, NJ (ed) Treaties and alliances of the world, 5th ed, Harlow, Essex, UK, Longman, 1990. A useful summary of numerous treaties and alliances.
Location: Law Ref 341.37 13c (6th ed held in Fisher)

Law reports

The following reports are located on Level 10 in the International Law Collection.

• American International Law Cases 1783-1968 (Vols 1-20); 1969-79 (Vols 21-31); 1979-1989 (Vols 1-27); 1990 onwards. The starting point for research into American case law on international legal issues.
• British International Law Cases Vols 1-9 (1964-73)
• European Court of Human Rights. Judgments and decisions 1961-87
• European Human Rights ReportsVol 1, 1979 onwards. Decisions from the European Court of Human Rights
• International Court of Justice Reports and the Reports of the Permanent Court of Justice 1923-33. Some of the latter were also published in the World Court Reports 1922-42
  Web: from 1996 the full text decisions of the ICJ are retrievable at
  <http://www.law.cornell.edu/icj>
  

For a guide to the workings of the ICJ, see Germain's International Court of Justice Research Guide, at <http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/library/icj/germain.htm>

• International Law Reports. Contains cases from international and domestic courts.
• International Legal Materials. Contains many recent international law cases.

Other useful sources

• International Legal Materials.
  Contains current information and texts of treaties and agreements, judicial and similar proceedings, reports etc. The ILM, produces the full text much quicker than other sources.
  Location: International Law collection on Level 10.
• Harris, DJ Cases and materials on international law, 5th ed, London, Sweet & Maxwell, 1998. Includes cases and important international law documents.
  Location: LU/ Law Reserve 341.0268 5C.
• Brownlie, I Basic documents in international law, 4th ed, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1995.
  Location: LU 341 8

Subject specific and historical indexes

International Environmental Law: Basic Instruments and References, 1992. Includes a useful list of abbreviations used in treaty citations and a list of popular names.  Law Ref 341.762 78

Copyright Laws and Treaties of the World. Law Ref 341.7582/2A

University of Minnesota Human Rights Library. This web site contains over 90 of the most important international human rights treaties and other instruments. <http://www.umn.edu/humanrts>

University of Western Australia Law and Government: International Law links
<http://eserv.library.uwa.edu.au/toolbox/list.asp?sid=7

Treaties and Alliances of the World, 5th ed, 1990. Discusses the role and functions of treaties and alliances and provides a context of leading international events over the previous five years and their implications.

Commercial Treaty Index,1976.
Law Ref 341.7540264/1

Catalogue of Treaties 1814-1918.
Law Ref 341.5

Index Guide to Treaties. An index to treaties contained in Parry's Consolidated Treaty Series.
Level 10 International Law Collection.
Also held in Fhrl 341.2/8A

Roberts, A & Guelff, R Documents on the laws of war, 2nd ed, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1989.
Law Research 341.6 11A

Useful texts

Public international law

• Alston, P & Chiam, M (eds) Treaty-making and Australia, Leichhardt, NSW, Federation Press, 1995.
  LU 341.37 29
• Alston,P(ed) United Nations and human rights, Oxford, Claredon Press, 1992.
  Law Research 341.481 151
• Auburn, FM Antarctic law and politics, London, C Hurst & Co, 1982.
  Law Research 341.42 8
• Aughterson, EP Extradition: Australian law and procedure, Sydney, Law Book Co, 1995.
  LU 345.94052 12
• Australian Law Reform Commission Legal Risk in international transactions, Report No. 80, Canberra, Australian Government Publishing Service, 1996.
  Law Research 341.75 62
• Blay, S Piotrowicz, R and Tsamenyi, BM Antartica after 1991: the legal and policy options, Hobart, Faculty of Law, University of Tasmania, 1989.
  Law Research 341.29 14
• Blay, S, Piotrowicz, R and Tsamenyi, M Public international law - an Australian perspective, Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1997.
  LU 341 213
• Burnett, R Law of international business transactions, 2nd Ed. Sydney, Federation Press, 1999
  LU 346.9407 53A
• Caffrey, BA International jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgements in the LAWASIA region: a comparative study of the laws of elevn Asian countries inter-se and with the EEC countries, North Ryde, NSW, CCH, 1985.
  Law Research 341.4 18
• Cartledge, GJ The soldiers' dilemma: when to use force in Australia, Canberra, Australian Government Publishing Service, 1992.
  Law Research 341.9472 1
• Chinkin, C Third parties in international law, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1993.
  Law Research 341.2 73
• Crawford, J Creation of states in international law, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1979.
  LU 341.26 14
• Crawford, J and Rothwell, DR (eds) Law of the sea in the Asian Pacific region, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1995.
  LU 341.7566091 1
• Crawford, J (ed) Rights of peoples, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1988.
  LU 342.085 17
• Durham, H & McCormack, TLH (eds) The changing face of conflict and the efficacy of international humanitarian law, The Hague, M. Nijhoff Publishers, 1999.
  Law research 341.6 51
• Fisher, S & Fisher, D Export best practice: commercial and legal aspects, Leichhardt, NSW, Federation Press, 1998.
  Law Research 382.60994 59
• Greig, DW International law, 2nd ed, London, Butterworths, 1976.
  LU 341 75
• Hocking, B International law and Aboriginal human rights, Sydney, Law Book Co, 1988.
  LU 341.481 116
• Kaye, S Australia's maritime boundaries, Woollongong, NSW, Cantre for Maritime Policy, University of Wollongong, 1995.
  Law Research 341.448 83 Kaye, SB The Torres Strait Boston, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1997.
  Law Research 341.446 13
• Korman, S Right of conquest - the acquisition of territory by force in international law and practice, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1996.
  Law Research 341.26 50
• Kriwoken, LK(ed) Oceans law and policy in the post-UNCED era: Australian and Canadian perspectives, London, Kluwer Law International. 1996.
  Law Research 341.45 77
• McCormack, TLH & Simpson, GJ (eds) Law of war crimes: national and international approaches, The Hague, Kluwer Law International, 1997.
  Law Research 364.138 6
• Mo, J International commercial law, Sydney, Butterworths, 2000.
  LU 341.754 116 B
• Musgrave, TD Self-determination and national minorities, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1997.
  Law Research 323.1 40
• O'Connell, DP International law of the sea, ed by IA Shearer, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1982. 2 Vols.
  LU 341.45 18
• Opeskin, B and Rothwell, D International law and Australian federalism, Melbourne, Melbourne University Press, 1997.
  LU 341.040994 1
• Prescott,JRV Australia's maritime boundaries, Canberra, Dept of International Relations, Australian National University, 1985.
  Fisher Research 341.448 67
• Pritchard, S Indigenous Australians: United Nations & human rights, Leichhardt, NSW, Federation Press, 1997.
  LU 342.940872 23
• Prott, LV Latent power of culture and the international judge, Abingdon, Oxon, 1979.
  LU 341.55 13
• Prott, LV and O'Keefe, PJ Law and cultural heritage, Vol 1 - Discovery and excavation, Abingdon, Oxon, 1984.
  LU 341.7677 2
• Prott, LV and O'Keefe, PJ Law and cultural heritage, Vol 3 - Movement, London, Butterworths, 1989.
  LU 341.7677 2
• Pryles, M et al International trade law - commentary and materials, Sydney, LBC Information Services, 1996.
  LU 341.754 115
• Reicher, H (ed) Australian international law - cases and materials, Sydney, LBC Information Services, 1995.
  LU 341.0994 2
• Rothwell, DR & Davis, R Antarctic environmental protection: a collection of Australian and international instruments, Leichhardt, NSW, Federation Press, 1997.
  Law Research 341.29 23
• Rothwell, DR Madrid Protocol and its relationship with the Antarctic Treaty System, Hobart, Faculty of Law, University of Tasmania, 1992.
  Law Research 341.0264989 1
• Rothwell, DR Polar regions and the development of international law, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1996.
  Law Research 341.29 21
• Rothwell, DR World park for Antarctica?: foundations, developments and the future, Hobart, Faculty of Law, University of Tasmania, 1990.
  LU 341.7625 6
• Ryan, KW (ed) International law in Australia, 2nd ed, Sydney, Law Book Co, 1984.
  LU 341 124
• Sacks, P & Malbon, J (eds) Australian export manual, Melbourne, FT Law & Tax Asia Pacific, 1992.
  Held by the Graduate School of Business and Fisher libraries at 382.60994 40
• Shearer, I (ed) International law and the Australian practitioner: papers read at a seminar conducted by the International Law Association in Sydney, 16 October 1993, Sydney, International Law Association (Australian Branch), (1993).
  Law Research 341.0994 1
• Starke, JG International law, 11th ed by Shearer, IA, London, Butterworths, 1994.
  LU 341 35
• Starke, JG Science of peace, 2nd ed, Sydney. Legal Books, 1986.
  Law Research 341.1 12A
• Steiner, HJ & Alston, P International human rights in context: law, politics, morals, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1996.
  Law Research 341.481 190 (Closed Reserve)
• Stone, J Legal controls of international conflict, Sydney, Maitland Publications, 1959.
  LU 341.5 1
• Stone, J Of law and nations: between power politics and human hopes, Buffalo, NY, Hein, 1974.
  Law Research 341 56
• Stone, J Visions of world order: between state power and human justice, Baltimore, John Hopkins University Press, 1984.
  Law Research 341 125
• Suter, KD An international law of guerrilla warfare: the global politics of law-making, London, F Pinter, 1984.
  Law Research 341.63 20
• Triggs, GD (ed) Antarctic Treaty regime, Cambridge University Press, 1987.
  Law Research 341.2909989 8
• Triggs, GD International law and Australian sovereignty in Antarctica, Sydney, Legal Books, 1986.
  Law Research 341.2909989 6
• Victoria Parliament Federal-State Relations Committee International treaty making and the role of the States, First Report on the Inquiry into Overlap and Duplication, Oct 1997
  Location:Law Research 341.370994 2
  Web <http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/fsrc/
  Report1/Report1.htm>
• Wallace-Bruce, NL Claims to statehood in international law, New York, Carlton Press, 1994.
  LU 341.26 46
• Wilde, KCDM (ed) International transactions - trade and investment, law and finance, Sydney, Law Book Co, 1993.
  LU 341.75 60

See also, Chinkin, CM Foreign relations, in: Halsbury's Laws of Australia. RR 029A

Conflict of laws

Davies,M, Ricketson,S & Lindell,G Conflict of laws: commentary and materials, Sydney, Butterworths, 1997.
Law Research 340.9 142

Nygh, PE Conflict of laws in Australia, 6th ed, Sydney, Butterworths, 1995.
LU 342.94042 3C

Sykes, EI & Pryles, MC Australian private international law, 3rd ed, Sydney, Law Book Co, 1991.
LU 342.94042 5B

Sykes, EI & Pryles, MC Conflict of laws: commentary and materials, 3rd ed, Sydney, Law Book Co, 1988.
LU 342.042 2B

Audio and video recordings

• International law (Newark, NJ), Seton Hall University School of Law in co-operation with American Society of International Law (199-). 10 videocassettes.. This course on international lawcovers the basic principles of international law. Topics include: Nature and sources of international law; States; Law of treaties; Human rights; Organizations; Use of force; International dispute settlement; International criminal law; Global concerns; International economic law.
  Law AV 341 208
• International Law Association 64th Conference. New challenges and prospects for international law, 19-25 August 1990. 10 audio cassettes.
  Law AV-C 341 170
• Phillip C Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (1992). Case concerning the war in the media gulf (Atlantis v Bergenia judgment of 4 April 1992). 1992 World Championship Cup Round.
  Law AV 341.6 32
• Williams, JW International legal research, Washington, DC, International Law Students Association/American Society of International Law (19--).
  Law AV 341.1 61

Looseleaf services

Looseleaf services are held to the right of the Library entrance on Level 8 (LL). The following are a few examples of services containing current information on treaties in a particular subject area.

• Antarctica and international law: a collection of inter-state and national documents.
  LL 341.2909989/1A
• International regulation of finance and investment.
  LL 341.75 59. Includes material on the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations, European Union, World Trade Organization, US international securities law, North American Free Trade Agreement.
• Law and practice under the GATT.
  LL 341.7543 6
• Law and practice of the World Trade Organization, treaties and commentary.
  LL 341.7543 6A
• New directions in the law of the sea.
  LL 341.448 3A
• United States income tax treaties.
  LL 341.4844 1

Some useful internet sources

Weblaw has an International Law subject guide at: http://www.library.usyd.edu.au/libraries/law/subjlaw.html

Some other key sites are:

• Lexis
  <http://lexis.com/>
  US database containing full text primary cases and legislation from around the world as well as many journals. Please contact Law Library for password.
• American Society of International Law Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law <http://www.asil.org/resource/Home.htm
• United Nations Homepage. <http://www.un.org> Arranged by the UN and includes the full text of international conventions and other multilateral instruments.
• Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  http://www.dfat.gov.au/ has a good coverage of current topics.
• Legal Research on International Law Issues Using the Internet
  <http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/~llou/forintlaw.html>
  This guide contains a wide range of selected international law links, one of the largest collections put on the Net.
• Magagni Research Guide to International Law on the Internet. <http://www.spfo.unibo.it/spolfo/ILGUIDE.html> This guide contains a wide range of selected international law links, one of the largest collections put on the Net. In future the site may include occasional papers, bibliographies and other documents.

For a useful introductory guide to search tools and techniques, see:

Raisch, MJ The wide world of the World-Wide-Web-International law resources on the Internet: a description of web browsers, search engines (1996) 24 International Journal of Legal Information 97-104

Raisch, MJ & Smith, AO Selective "webography" of international law (1996) 24 International Journal of Legal Information 105-111

Current bibliographies

• Blay, E Public international law - a guide to information source, London, Mansell, 1991.
• Beyerly, E Public international law - a guide to information sources, London, Mansell, 1991.
  Law Ref 016.341 12
• Duffee, R International law of peace: international law bibliography, New York, Oceana, 1990.
  Law Research 016.34173 4
• Hamalengwa, M et al International law of human rights in Africa, Dordrecht, Nijhoff, 1988.
  Law Research 342.6085 1
• Munro, RJ International environmental law, New York, Oceana, 1990.
  Law Ref 016.341 13
• Public international law (Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law) 1975 onwards and held at Law Ref 016.341 9

There are many bibliographies which are published in journals and these can be found by searching the journal indexes listed under 14 e.g. Winship, P UN Sales Convention: a bibliography of English-language publications (1994) 28 International Lawyer 401-23.

Some bibliographies are on the Net: e.g.Germain, CM United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods: Guide to Research and Literature, <http://www.law.cornell.edu/library/sales.html> and also published in (1996) 24 International Journal of Legal Information 48-70; (1995) 1 Review of the Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods 117-45.
See also Legal Research on International Law Issues Using the Internet, <http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/~llou/forintlaw.html>

Journal indexes

• APAIS
• AGIS
• Legaltrac
• Index to Legal Periodicals
• Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals
• Legal Journals Index

Comments:

• If you wish to concentrate on Australian materials use AGIS and APAIS.
• Legaltrac indexes many more journals than Index to Legal Periodicals.
• Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals focuses on primarily non Anglo-American materials.

International law journals held in the Law Library

Journals are held on level 10 in alphabetical order by title. Current parts are kept in the Current Serials section on level 8. If you are unsure of holdings, ask at the Information Desk)
Also, the Lexis Database contains US and foreign journals in full text <http:lexis.com>. Contact Law Library for password.

Australian journals

• Australian journal of international affairs, 1990 onwards (formerly Australian outlook 1947-89)
• Australian yearbook of international law, 1965 onwards. Contains useful commentaries on current affairs. Level 10 with Journals.
• Australian international law journal 1994 onwards. Formerly Australian International Law News 1984-1992. Level 10 with Jounals.
• Australia. Attorney-General's Dept. International trade law seminars (Annual). Level 10 with Journals under International Trade Law Conference/Seminar.

Foreign Journals

African journal of international and comparative law

Air and space law

Air and space lawyer

American journal of international law

American Society of International Law. Proceedings

American University journal of international law and policy

Boston College international and comparative law review

British yearbook of international law

Brooklyn journal of international law

California Western international law journal

Canadian yearbook of international law

Case Western Reserve journal of international law

Columbia journal of transnational law

Comparative and international law journal of South Africa

Cornell international law journal

Denver journal of international law and policy

Duke journal of comparative and international law

Emory international law review

European journal of international law

Florida journal of international law

Fordham international law journal

George Washington journal of international law and economics

Georgia journal of international and comparative law

Harvard international law journal

Hastings international and comparative law review

Houston journal of international law

Indian journal of international law

International and comparative law quarterly

International journal of refugee law

International lawyer

Japanese annual of international law

Journal of peace research

Journal of world trade

Law and policy in international business

Leiden journal of international law

Loyola of Los Angeles international and comparative law journal

Maryland journal of international law and trade

Michigan journal of international law

Netherlands international law review

Netherlands yearbook of international law

New York Law School journal of international and comparative law

New York University journal of international law and politics

North Carolina journal of international law and commercial regulation

Northwestern journal of international law and business

Ocean development & international law

Revue Belge de droit international

Revue generale de droit international public

Revue Hellenique de droit international

Rivista di diritto internazionale

Sri Lanka journal of international law

Stanford journal of international law

Suffolk transnational law review

Syracuse journal of international law and commerce

Texas international law journal

Vanderbilt journal of transnational law

Virginia journal of international law

Yale journal of international law

There are some full text international law journals on the Web, such as:
American University International Law Review

Emory international law review

Indiana journal of global legal studies

Dictionaries and encyclopaedias

Dictionaries

• Bledsoe, RL and Boczek, BA International law dictionary, Santa Barbara, Calif, ABC-CLIO, 1987.
  Location:Law Ref 341.03 4. This has 368 entries grouped by subject matter into twelve chapters.
• Fox, JR Dictionary of international and comparative law, 2nd ed, New York, Oceana Publications, 1997
  Location: Law Ref 341.03 6A This has journal abbreviations, popular international law case and convention names.
• Parry, C et al Encyclopaedic dictionary of international law, New York, Oceana Publications, 1986
  Location: Law Ref 341.03 3. This too includes journal abbreviations, popular international law case and convention names.

Encyclopaedias

Encyclopaedia of public international law, Amsterdam, North-Holland Publishing Co, 1981-1990, Vols 1-12. Location: Law Ref 341.03 1. Each volume covers a particular subject then within each volume are numerous entries. This was updated, partly in 1992 and 1995 with the publication of Encyclopaedia of public international law, Vol 1 A-D; Vol 2 E-I. Other volumes forthcoming.

Fellow travellers

Note the following resources which list academics whose interests cover international law.

• Australasian Law Teachers Association Interest Groups, in particular: International law, available via the LBC Information Services website
  <http://www.lbc.com.au> under the category Resources, then ALTA Directory, then Interest groups.
• Edwards, G & Sullivan, T (eds) Australian directory of academics, 4th ed, Kenmore, Qld, Universal Consultancy Services, 1995. Law Reference 378.111025 1. Using the Index look up Law, then the subdivisions of: Antarctic law; International aviation/ banking/ business/ commercial/ contract/ copyright/ economic/ environmental/ fisheries/ humanitarianlaw/ legal issues/ products liability/ trade law; Law of the sea; Public international law.

Dictionaries of legal abbreviations

There are many places to look for legal abbreviations. The ones frequently used in the Law Library and held on Law Reserve are:

• Fong, C & Edwards, A Australian and New Zealand legal abbreviations, 2nd ed, Sydney, Australian Law Librarians' Group NSW Division, 1995.
• Kavass, II & Prince, MM World dictionary of legal abbreviations, Buffalo, NY, 1991- (Looseleaf).
• Prince, MM Bieber's dictionary of legal abbreviations, 4th ed, Buffalo, NY, 1993.
• Raistrick, D Index to legal citations and abbreviations, 2nd ed, London, Bowker-Saur, 1993.

For non-legal abbreviations, suggest: Jones, DJ Australian dictionary of acronyms and abbreviations, 4th ed, Canberra, ALIA Press, 1995. Law Reference 423.1 80A

Not held, try...

There are some resources which the Law Library does not hold and these are listed as some of you may have access to these in other libraries.

Finding Journals: you can find out which Australian library holds a particular journal by looking up the electronic database SIAL (Serials in Australian Libraries) which is available on the Law Library Network under Legal Reference Tools.
Also, the Lexis Database contains US and foreign journals in full text <http://lexis.com>. Contact Law Library for password.

Finding Books etc: try the UNSW or Macquarie Catalogues (links available from the Library Catalogues page) <http://www.library.usyd.edu.au/catalogue/othercat.html> or you can ask library staff at the Information Desk to access a database called Kinetica for you to see which library holds the title needed.

Further reading

Bazinas, SV "Case law on UNICITRAL texts" (1996) 24 International Business Lawyer333-35. Case Law on UNICITRAL Texts - CLOUT documents are available on the Internet at <http://www.un.or.at/uncitral/index.html>

Current trends in international law: a challenge for law librarians. Symposium issue (1996) 24 (1) International Journal of Legal Information.

Hutchinson, T. "Technological evolution and the internationalisation of law - effects on the legal research process" in: Synergy in Sydney 1995. Sixth Asian Pacific Specials, Health and Law Librarians Conference Proceedings, 27-30 August 1995, pp 461-75.
Law Research 026.6 5

Loui-Jacques,L & Korman, JS (eds) Introduction to international organisations, Sponsored by the American Association of Law Libraries, New York, Oceana Publications, 1996.
Law Research 341.2 78

McCormack, T. "An introduction to treaties: what they are and where to find them" (1996) 4 Australian Law Librarian 265-78.

O'Connor, LK "International and foreign legal research: tips, tricks and sources" (1995) 28 Cornell International Law Journal 416-51

Pratter, J "Treaty research basics"(1997) 89 Law Library Journal 407-13

Raisch, MJ & Shaffer, RI Introduction to transnational legal transactions, Sponsored by the American Association of Law Libraries, New York, Oceana Publications, 1995.
Law Research 341.77 40

Rodwell, J. "International legal resources" in: Synergy in Sydney 1995. Sixth Asian Pacific Specials, Health and Law Librarians Conference Proceedings, 27-30 August 1995, pp 477-83.
Law Research 026.6 5

Schaffer, EG & Snyder, RJ Contemporary practice of public international law, Sponsored by the American Association of Law Libraries, Dobbs Ferry, New York, Oceana Publications, 1997.
Law Research 341 215

Seer, G & Smolka-Day, M Introduction to international business law: legal transactions in a global economy, Sponsored by the American Association of Law Libraries, New York, Oceana Publications, 1996.
Law Research 346.7307 52

Strzynski, J. "Foreign and international collections. Part 2: International" in: Kehoe, PE et al (eds) Law librarianship - a handbook for the electronic age, Littleton, Col, Rothman, 1995, pp 313-47.
Law Research 026.3400873 5

Watt, R Concise legal research, 3rd ed, Leichhardt, NSW, Federation Press, 1997, Ch 8 Finding international law, pp 189-226.
Law Research 340.072 12B

Frequently asked questions

Q: Is Australia signatory to a particular treaty and when did it sign it?

A: .Search the treaty database on AustLII <http:www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat> or check the Australian Treaty List (to 31 December 1989), Australian Treaty Series 1989 No 38 on Law Reserve

Q: How do I find recent decisions of the International Court of Justice?

A: These are available either in International Legal Materials (Level 10) or via the ICJ homepage <http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/library/cijwww/>

Q: Has a treaty been implemented in Australian legislation?

A: You have a number of options.

• On the Internet. If you think it likely to be in federal legislation go to Austlii <http://www.austlii.edu.au> and search by the title of the treaty or convention in the relevant legislation database. Be sure to check all possible relevant jurisdictions.
• Search the legislation databases on the Law Library Network: we hold Commonwealth Statutes and Statutory Rules, NSW, Victorian, Queensland, WA Legislation.