The Rights Inernational Companion to Criminal Law

Over the last ten years there have been dramatic changes in international relations accompanied by an exponential growth of international law -- especially in human rights and humanitarian law.

To competently meet the challenges presented by these developments, law students and lawyers must learn how international law relates to, informs, and can trump domestic law in the fields of constitutional law, property, and criminal law and procedure.

International law, however, is rarely required in law school.

In constitutional law classes, one seldom sees any discussion of international law even though international law formed much of the U.S.

Supreme Court's early jurisprudence and continues to have important consequences for present-day litigation.

In property law classes, international law needs to be taught because property interests are becoming transnational, and a substantial body of international law addressing takings, forfeiture, and regulation of property has developed.

In criminal law and procedure classes, international law will increasingly become material to U.S. domestic law as the International Tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda decide more and more cases, and the International Criminal Court is established. Because of this globalization of legal accountability, law students must be familiar with those common areas of domestic and international law in which there are different or opposing outcomes and perspectives.

Law students need to recognize that a domestic legal issue will likely have international law dimensions that will determine what advice s/he gives their future client and the future strategy s/he undertakes in litigation or negotiations.

The Rights International Companion series is designed both as a series of international human rights, humanitarian, and comparative law supplements to law student casebooks on constitutional law, property, and criminal law and procedure, as well as a quick, helpful reference for lawyers.

Each Companion tracks the themes of major coursebooks.

Cross-references to these coursebooks are provided on the Rights International website: http://www.rightsinternational.org.

Rights International is a non-profit organization that procides legal assistance to victims of human rights violations before international courts and tribunals.

Rights International has the largest international human rights case docket spanning four continents. They also train lawyers and law students in international human rights law and practice.