Precedent in the World Court

• Foreword; Preface; List of abbreviations; 1. Introduction; 2. The growth of the Court's case law; 3. Range of precedential resources; 4. The bases of the system; 5. The Advisory Committee of Jurists; 6. The view taken by the League of Nations; 7. The possibility of judge-made international law; 8. Stare decisis; 9. Distinguishing; 10. Departing from a previous decision; 11. Ratio decidendi and obiter dictum; 12. Advisory opinions and decisions of chambers; 13. The precedential impact of individual opinions; 14. Effect and scope of the Court's case law; 15. Conclusion; Index.

"This book was writtern by an eminent author who was for nine years a judge at the International Court of Justice (and is now a member of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia). The experience gained in that position, a solid knowledge of the entire case law of the present Court as well as its predecessor, the Permanent Court of International Justice, and a keen interest in theoretical problems have together contributed to an excellent work....The author's discussion goes well beyond the narrow question of the legal relevance of precedents. Many related problems are thoughtfully considered." Peter H. F. Bekker, The American Journal of International Law