The International Judge: An Introduction to the Men and Women Who Decide the World's Cases(International Courts and Tribunals Series)

Over the last century, international courts, once reserved for arcane matters of diplomacy and trade, have begun to address a broad range of human experience and activity. This volume corrects some of the common misperceptions about international judges, while providing a balanced introduction to both the strengths and shortcomings of their work. As they rule on crucial issues of war and peace, human rights, and trade, in addition to high-profile criminal trials, international judges are playing a critical role in developments that will affect world affairs for years to come. Based on interviews with more than 30 international judges, this volume is the first comprehensive portrait of the men and women in this new global profession. The working environment of international judges is closely examined in courts around the world, highlighting the challenge of carrying out work in multiple languages, in the context of intricate bureaucratic hierarchies, and with a necessary interdependence between judges and their courts' administration. Arguing that international judges have to balance their responsibilities as interpreters of the law and as global professionals, the authors discuss the challenges of working in the fluid circumstances of international courts. Profiles of five individual judges provide insight into the experience and dilemmas of the men and women on the international bench.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations Foreword Introduction: 1: International Courts: An Overview 2: Becoming a Judge 3: Inside the Courts 4: International Judges and International Law 5: Between Law and Politics 6: Tests of Character Conclusion Appendix 1: Chart: The International Judiciary in Context Appendix 2: Judges Interviewed Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Daniel Terris is the Director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life at Brandeis University and author of /Ethics at Work: Creating Virtue in an American Corporation /(Brandeis, 2005) Cesare P.R. Romano is Associate Professor of Law at Loyola Law School Los Angeles, and Assistant Director of the Project on International Courts and Tribunals. He has co-authored Internationalized Criminal Courts and Tribunals: Sierra Leone, East Timor, Kosovo, and Cambodia with Andre Nollkaemper and Jann Kleffner (OUP, 2004). Leigh Swigart is an anthropologist and the Director of Programs in International Justice and Society at the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life at Brandeis.

Review :
`Provides a highly interesting account of "the international judge" as a species...offering an accessible introduction to those new to the topic, as well as much detail about commonalities of and differences between the various international courts and tribunals. It can be warmly recommended.' Christian J Tam, German Yearbook of International Law 2010.