On Monday 6 March 2023 a book launch of Secondary Rules of Primary Importance in International Law, edited by Gábor Kajtár, Başak Çali, and Marko Milanovic, the latest volume in the ESIL book series published with OUP, which was published in late 2022, took place online

The book focuses on international law’s secondary rules, which despite their less-than-appealing labelling are of primary importance. Secondary rules of international law – such as attribution, causality, the standard of review, and the standard and burden of proof – have been neglected in scholarly literature and have seen fragmented application in international legal practice. Yet their coherent and consistent application is crucial, and helps hold the system of international law together. 

The book offers a detailed engagement with these secondary rules, which highlights their cross-cutting relevance, evaluates them from a comparative angle, and investigates how they influence the substantive (‘primary’) rules of international law.

ESIL is proud of this new publication and was delighted to celebrate it with a virtual book launch. The launch did not rehearse the detailed treatment offered in the book, but introduced its central themes in an informal conversation with editors and contributing authors, animated by members of the ESIL Board.

The recording of the event is now available here.

OUP has kindly offered a 30% discount code for the purchase of the book. The code is ALAUTHC4 and can be applied at checkout on the OUP website.

WATCH THE RECORDING