Understanding Jus Cogens in International Law and International Legal Discourse

Ulf Linderfalk, Professor of International Law, Faculty of Law, Lund University, Sweden and Distinguished Researcher in the Faculty of Law, University of A Coruña, Spain

• Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Legal Positivism and legal idealism 3. The source of jus cogens obligations and no-competences 4. The role of state consent in the creation and modification of jus cogens norms 5. The identification of jus cogens norms 6. The scope of jus cogens: Possible delimitations of the concept 7. Jus cogens and the concept of a normative conflict 8. Jus cogens and the individuation of norms 9. Significance of the findings for future international legal discourse Index

'Ulf Linderfalk's new book Understanding Jus Cogens in International Law and International Legal Discourse is a timely contribution to the debate on the criteria and consequences of jus cogens in international law. A debate which has, for the most part, been characterised by participants speaking past each other. Building on his previous accomplished work on the theory of jus cogens, Linderfalk takes a step back in order to examine the common assumptions underlying dominant approaches to jus cogens in international law. The result is a book that has the potential to open the lines of communication in the pursuit of better understanding of jus cogens.'--Dire Tladi, University of Pretoria, South Africa