International custom remains one of the most important sources of international law despite the codification of the law and the numerous international agreements concluded between the different actors of the international community. However, uncertainties still remain in relation to several of its aspects, including its formation, evidence and the relationship between its two constituent elements, that is, State practice and opinio juris. This presents challenges to national and international judges when called upon to identify and apply the rules of customary international law. With a view to addressing these grey areas, the Council of Europe ad hoc Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI) in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France organised a conference on The Judge and International Custom where important contributions were made by international and national judges clarifying some aspects of this topical issue. This volume contains these contributions, supplemented with articles commissioned by the CAHDI from some of the highest judges at international and national level. The collection highlights the valuable contribution made by the CAHDI to the development of public international law and in particular to the work of the International Law Commission and the Sixth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly by participating proactively in the legal debate to establish a well-defined international legal framework for this topical issue.
La coutume internationale demeure l'une des sources les plus importantes du droit international malgre la codification du droit et les nombreux accords internationaux conclus entre les differents acteurs de la communaute internationale. Neanmoins, des incertitudes subsistent sur plusieurs de ses aspects, notamment sa formation, son identification et les liens entre ses deux elements constitutifs, a savoir la pratique des Etats et l'opinio juris. Ces incertitudes constituent un defi pour les juges nationaux et internationaux lorsqu'ils sont appeles a identifier et a appliquer les regles de droit international coutumier. En vue d'examiner ces zones d'ombre, le Comite ad hoc des Conseillers juridiques sur le droit international public (CAHDI) du Conseil de l'Europe a organise une Conference en cooperation avec le ministere des Affaires etrangeres de la France sur
Le juge et la coutume internationale
au cours de laquelle d'importantes contributions ont ete faites par des juges nationaux et internationaux afin de clarifier certains aspects de cette question d'actualite. Ce volume contient ces contributions, ainsi que des articles supplementaires sollicites par le CAHDI aux plus hauts juges aux niveaux international et national. Le recueil souligne la contribution precieuse apportee par le CAHDI au developpement du droit international public et en particulier aux travaux de la Commission du droit international et de la Sixieme Commission de l'Assemblee generale des Nations Unies en participant de facon proactive au debat juridique visant a etablir un cadre juridique international bien defini sur ce sujet d'actualite.
