Berman Duquet Pauwelyn Wessel
Published: 2012-12-24
Total Pages: 564
Get eBook
Informal International Lawmaking: Case Studies compiles case studies on instances of informal international lawmaking (IN-LAW) in diverse policy areas, including finance, investment, competition, pharmaceuticals and medical device regulation, food regulation, human rights, disaster management, and trade in diamonds. The term 'informal' international lawmaking is used in contrast and opposition to 'traditional' international lawmaking. More concretely, IN-LAW is informal in the sense that it dispenses with certain formalities traditionally linked to international law. These formalities may have to do with the process, actors and output involved. The literature has mostly criticized IN-LAW for its 'accountability deficits'. The chapters in this book, hence, do not simply give a descriptive overview of the case studies, but approach them from an accountability perspective. In this context, different questions are raised, such as: Is IN-LAW subject to any accountability measures? How accountable are IN-LAW participants to their constituents? How accountable are they towards those affected by their decisions? Are the accountability measures available at the international or at the domestic level? The book also examines how IN-LAW is elaborated and subsequently received in domestic legal systems, using the Netherlands and Brazil as case studies.