Law Commons^™

Of Solemn Oaths And Obligations: The Environmental Impact Of The Icj’S Decision In The Case Of The Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Project, Stephen Stec, Gabriel Eckstein

Faculty Scholarship

Chapter Extract:

The law of treaties often conjures up images of states as rotund gentlemen with whiskers, vests, and watch-chains proclaiming solemn and chivalric oaths upon their honour. Treaties are sacred in the same way that a man's word is his bond. This type of relationship among states is largely unquestioned since much of the way we live in the world depends upon the assumption of the inviolability of sovereign states and their treaties. Any challenge to these assumptions would surely evoke horror at the unmentionable void that would result-except in lawyers who make their livings shaving nuances. However, in …