Public international law is the body of law governing relations between states, international organisations and, sometimes, individuals. At one time states were almost the only bodies that had rights and duties under international law, but during the twentieth century international organisations (such as the League of Nations and then the United Nations), multinational companies and, sometimes, individuals have also acquired rights and duties under international law. See Akehurst's Modern Introduction to International L...

Public international law is the body of law governing relations between states, international organisations and, sometimes, individuals. At one time states were almost the only bodies that had rights and duties under international law, but during the twentieth century international organisations (such as the League of Nations and then the United Nations), multinational companies and, sometimes, individuals have also acquired rights and duties under international law. See Akehurst's Modern Introduction to International Law, 7th revised edition, 1997, for a fuller definition.

Public international law covers such diverse subject areas as air law, space law, maritime law (both shipping law and the law of the sea), diplomatic relations, human rights law, law of armed conflict, international environmental law, international economic law and international trade law. This body of law is expanding and developing all the time.

This concept of public international law should be distinguished from private international law or conflicts of law, which is the body of conventions and model laws that regulate private relationships across national borders, e.g. divorce law or the law relating to the sale of goods.

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