Book Launch: The Law of State Immunity

The Law Faculty, together with the Oxford PIL Discussion Group, celebrated the launch of the third edition of The Law of State Immunity  (OUP, 2013) on 11 November 2013. The authors, Lady Fox CMG QC and Dr Philippa Webb, were joined by Dapo Akande in a panel discussion on recent developments and trends in the law of State immunity.

Lady Fox has a long standing connection with the Oxford Law Faculty having first studied law in Oxford over 60 years ago. She then taught law at Somerville College (her undergraduate college), where she was later elected a Fellow. She has maintained her connection to Oxford, through her election as an Honorary Fellow at Somerville College.
 
Much of the discussion at the launch focussed on the effect of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) decision of 2012 in the Jurisdictional Immunities Case (Germany v Italy) on the law of State Immunity. In particular, the authors and the discussant explored the three models of immunity set out in the book, examining in particular the ICJ's statement that immunity is a procedural and not a substantive rule of law. They discussed the extent to which the ICJ's decision that immunity remains even in cases of violations of jus cogens will come under pressure in State practice.