How to Distinguish International Law From Municipal Law

The varying roles of municipal and international laws is an area of confusion for many people. How due process, courts and enforcement are set up is the primary difference between the two and actually have clearly defined roles. Read on to learn how to distinguish international law from municipal law.

Instructions

1. Learn the primary difference between international law and municipal law. Municipal law focuses on the relationship between the states and is concerned with laws within a specific country. International law regulates rules between countries across the globe.

2. Realize that due process can be completely different depending on the court. Many countries have a legal system that mimics the processes and obligations of the international court system. However, no country matches perfectly, and most have vast differences in process.

3. Understand that the legislature and court systems are different on the international and municipal levels. Where the municipal level uses a legislature to help enforce and test the laws, the international court system relies on a series of treaties without a legislature which, in essence, makes all countries equal.

4. Read how the law states enforcement policies. Enforcement is a major difference between municipal and international law. The municipal courts have a law enforcement arm which helps require those it determines to follow the rules, and if they do not they are required to attend court. The international court system has no enforcement and must rely on the cooperation of other countries for enforcement.

5. Choose whether to follow the law. Municipal law requires that all under its jurisdiction follow the law. However, there is no way to force all countries of the world to recognize the international court system. If a country does not agree with its system or decisions, that country is free to ignore the rulings.