LibGuides: International Humanitarian Law: Foreign Law

Print Sources

Researching the law of war frequently requires the ability to find foreign law from a variety of jurisdictions. You can search POLAR by keyword or subject for foreign legal materials. For example, to find books on French law, you can search using the keywords “law and France” or by the subject “Law—France.”

Some sources to help you get started include:

Accidental Tourist on the New Frontier by Jeanne Rehberg (Editor); Radu D. Popa (Editor)
Call Number: K 85.A27 1998--Law Reference
ISBN: 0837710758
Publication Date: 1998-01-01
Constitutions of the Countries of the World
Call Number: K 3157.A2 B58
Publication Date: 1971-
Germain's Transnational Law Research by Claire Germain
Call Number: K 85.G47 1991--Law Reference
ISBN: 0929179315
Publication Date: 1991-07-01
Foreign Law: Current Sources of Codes and Basic Legislation in Jurisdictions of the World by Thomas H. Reynolds; Arturo A. Flores
Call Number: K 38.R49 1989—Law Reference
ISBN: 0837701341
Publication Date: 1989-01-01
Now updated online (see Online Sources).

Online Sources

Constitute Project
A tool designed to help compare constitutions from around the world side-by-side. You can view constitutions in whole, or search for relevant sections from different constitutions and compare the results.
Eldis
Website sponsored by the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex seeking to "[share] the best in development policy, practice, and research.” Contains over 26,000 documents all available for free download, including topical resource guides and country profiles.
Environmental Law Reporter
The Environmental Law Reporter is the most-often cited environmental law journal. Its online database contains over 40 years of analysis by leading practitioners and academics in the field. Available online through HeinOnline.
European Court of Human Rights
Established by the European Convention of Human Rights and hears applications from individuals alleging that a contracting state has breached one or more of the human rights provisions concerning civil and political rights in the Convention.
Foreign & International Law Resources Database
FILRD includes the publications of the American Society of International Law along with prominent Yearbooks from around the world, including the Hague Permanent Court of International Justice series. It also includes U.S. Law Digests, International Tribunals/Judicial Decisions, and more.
Georgetown Law Foreign & International Law Research Guides
Over 40 research guides on a variety of foreign and international law subjects.
GlobaLex
A wide variety of research guides on the laws of individual countries, as well as guides on international and comparative law. Available through the NYU School of Law.
Government Gazettes Online
Provides links and descriptions of official gazettes for countries worldwide. Also includes a bibliography.
Guide to Law Online: Nations of the World
Provides links to primary and secondary foreign resources, including constitutions, executive, judicial, and legislative materials, legal guides, and general sources; organized by country. Available through the Law Library of Congress.
JuriGlobe--World Legal Systems
Research group formed by professors from the Faculty of Law of the University of Ottawa, which focuses on the development of a multilingual information data bank containing general information relating to the different legal systems in the world.
World Constitutions Illustrated
Contemporary and historical constitutions for the countries of the world in original language and English versions, as well as books, periodicals, and related resources. Available through HeinOnline.
World Legal Information Institute (World LII)
Contains a collection of freely available full-text databases of primary sources for several countries, as well as a catalog of links to lists of resources. The site can be browsed by country, region, or subject.
Yale Comparative Administrative Law Blog
Blog managed by the Yale Comparative Administrative Law Initiative that posts recent scholarship in the field.
European Court of Justice
Highest court of the European Union. Tasked with interpreting EU law and ensuring its equal application across all EU member states.
Frequently-Cited Treaties & Other International Instruments
Very helpful Guide from the University of Minnesota listing treaties frequently cited in law review articles, along with available sources of hard copy and links to web sources.
Gazette Collection (Law Library of Congress)
Alphabetical guide to 56 nations with online gazettes.
Georgetown Law Library- National Treaty Collections
Links to national treaty collections; advice on finding national gazettes and other sources.
Globalex - Guide to Research on Vienna Convention
Globalex International Law Research Guides (NYU Hauser Global Law School Program)
Over 20 extensive research guides written by experts in their fields.
Globalex UN Research Guide
Globalex- International Law Research Guides
Glossary of Key Terms relating to Treaties
ICCPR
This treaty sets out the rights a State must not violate. Created at the same time as the ICESCR.
ICESCR
This treaty sets out rights that States should provide. Created at the same time as the ICCPR.
International and Comparative Law Quarterly
Published by the British Institute of International and Comparative Law available online through Hein Online, OhioLINK EJC, Lexis, and Academic Search Complete
International Court of Justice (ICJ)
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties
This treaty is often consulted as a guide to interpreting other treaties.
Website of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights monitors implementation of the ICESCR. It issues general comments on the interpretation of ICESCR and jurisprudence on the ICESCR
Website of the Human Rights Committee
The Human Rights Committee monitors States' implementation and compliance with the ICCPR and its optional protocols. It issues general comments of interpretation of the ICCPR and jurisprudence on the ICCPR.
World Treaty Index
Provides access to over 55,000 treaties of the 20th century, from sources ranging from the United Nations Treaty Series to various national indexes, gazettes, and official files.
WorldLII International Courts & Tribunals
WorldLII International Treaties & Agreements
Multilateral and bilateral treaties arranged by subject, region and country
WorldLII National Treaty Database
Search within National Treaty databases. Caveat: some are not as current as the source database.

Research Guides

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