CYIL 2010

THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENTS OF THE CZECH DOCTRINE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CZECH DOCTRINE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

Pavel Šturma

Abstract: This contribution aims to present the origins and development of the Czechoslovak and Czech doctrine of international law. It starts mainly at the beginning of the 20 th century. The short period from 1918 to 1938 was very fruitful in this area, giving rise to the development of an international legal doctrine at three academic centres (Prague, Brno and Bratislava) as well as to a major debate between the legal positivists and the representatives of the pure theory of law. Some of the teachings of the leading figures of the Czech doctrine are still of some interest in our time. The post-WW II period bears both elements of continuity and elements of discontinuity. During the period of so-called real socialism (communism) in the former Czechoslovakia, a number of important scholars left the country or ceased to work in academia. Nevertheless, the doctrine continued to develop even in these conditions and produced some interesting scholarly works and debates. For the purpose of this study, the following theoretical issues were singled out: (1) customary law, (2) principles of international law, and (3) so-called socialist international law. The study concludes that Czech scholarship was not only able to survive but also managed to maintain contact with the development of the doctrine of international law at least within the framework of Central Europe. Resumé: Tento příspěvek se snaží představit vývoj čs. a české nauky mezinárod ního práva od jejího vzniku na počátku 20. století. Na učení hlavních představitelů ukazuje plodný rozvoj nauky v konkurenci positivismu a normativismu v letech 1918-1938. Poválečné období pak bylo ve znamení prvků kontinuity i diskontinu ity. Přes složité podmínky v období reálného socialismu domácí nauka pokračovala a přinášela některé zajímavé teoretické diskuse. Key words: Czech doctrine of international law, history, leading personalities, cus tomary law, principles of international law, so-called socialist international law. On the author: Prof. JUDr. Pavel Šturma, DrSc., graduated from the Charles University Faculty of Law and Faculty of Philosophy, accomplished post-graduate studies at the Institute of Law of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Internationales, University of Paris 2. Currently he is Head of the Department of International Law and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law, Charles University in Prague, senior research fellow at the Institute of Law of the Czech Academy of Sciences and President of the Czech Society of International Law. Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. He is a co-author of the textbook Public International Law (Prague, 2008) and the author of publications on codification, international criminal law, human rights and international investment law.

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