The Crises of the International Legal System Reflecting in Legal Terminology: An Analysis of the Legislation and Judicial Practice of Great Britain and the United States in the 19th – Early 20th Century
- Authors: Sidorov A.V.1
-
Affiliations:
- North-West Branch, Russian State University of Justice named after V. M. Lebedev
- Issue: No 6 (2025)
- Pages: 100-112
- Section: International law studies
- URL: https://medbiosci.ru/2072-909X/article/view/364313
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.37399/issn2072-909X.2025.6.100-112
- ID: 364313
Cite item
Abstract
The historical development of the international legal system demonstrates that crises have often arisen due to insufficiently developed conceptual frameworks. Accordingly, it’s fitting to analyze the experience of its improvement accumulated by British and American courts within the given timeframe.
The aim of this study is to identify the features of resolving discrepancies in English legal terminology, examining their historical function in mitigating crises affecting the international legal order.
The theoretical basis of the research was the scientific works of Russian experts in international law, as well as the works of British and American legal theorists and practicing lawyers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The research applied general scientific methods (analysis and synthesis, etc.) and methods of legal science (historical-legal, formal-legal).
As a result of the study it was found that attempts to disclose the content of law of nations and determine the range of its sources were made by the British and American courts as early as the 18th century, and the position they outlined during the same period stating that the law of nations is the part of domestic law of Great Britain and the United States will prevail for the legislation and judicial practice of these states throughout the reviewed period. The change in the 19th – early 20th century of doctrinal ideas about the law of nations entailed a gradual abandonment of this term in favor of the concept of “international law”, while in parallel in the Anglo-American legal tradition there was a process of choosing among a number of closely related concepts the most suitable term characterizing the peculiarities of resolving cases with a foreign element. Finally, the fight against such phenomena as the slave trade, piracy, military smuggling, which definitely contributed to the crises of the international legal system of that time, required the British and American courts to develop appropriate definitions.
Full Text
About the authors
Andrei V. Sidorov
North-West Branch, Russian State University of Justice named after V. M. Lebedev
Author for correspondence.
Email: andrei.sidorov.spb@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5335-2980
Candidate of Sciences (Philology), Lecturer of the General Theoretical Legal Disciplines Department.
Russian Federation, St. PetersburgReferences
- Ermolovich, G. P. International law in crisis? Law and state: cultural dimension. Materials of the VII International Scientific and Practical Conference (St. Petersburg, 25 November 2022). St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg University of Humanities and Social Sciences; 2022. Рр. 46–49. (In Russ.)
- Ignatieva, M. V. Theoretical and practical aspects of the crisis in international terms. Obrazovanie i pravo = Education and Law. 2020;(8):178-181. (In Russ.)
- Tolstykh, V. L. A crisis of international law: a diagnosis. Zakon = Law. 2022;(12):122-133. (In Russ.)
- Matchanova, Z. Sh. Relationship between crises in international law and crisis phenomena in selected areas of contemporary international relations. In: D. A. Pashentsev, M. V. Zaloilo, eds. Subject of law: stability and dynamics of legal status in the context of digitalization. Collection of scientific works. Moscow: Infotropik Media; 2022. Рр. 416–422. (In Russ.)
- Matchanova, Z. Sh. Prospects for the development of international labour law in the context of the study of the crises of international law in the twenty-first century. Chernye dyry v Rossijskom zakonodatel’stve = “Black Holes” in Russian Legislation. 2020;(3):20-22. (In Russ.)
- Petrova, N. D. Transformation of the institution of the family in the information society: crisis, causes and opportunities to overcome (international legal aspects). Obrazovanie i pravo = Education and Law. 2024;(10):323-327. (In Russ.)
- Chernyadeva, N. A. Digital technologies and human rights: the era of interdependence or the crisis of the international human rights system? Pravoporyadok: istoriya, teoriya, praktika = Legal Order: History, Theory, Practice. 2023;(2):164-172. (In Russ.)
- Dorskaia, A. A., Dorskii, A. Yu., Petrova, N. D. Crisis of the international legal system: concept, features, classification. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Law. 2024;15(1):225-234.
- Dorskaya, A. A. Westphalian system and its role in the formation of the modern world order. Obrazovanie i pravo = Education and Law. 2024;(6):13-18. (In Russ.)
- Dorskaya, A. A. Crises of the international legal system: on the question of periodization of the history of international law. Mezhdunarodnyj nauchnyj vestnik = International Scientific Bulletin. 2024;(11):113-118. (In Russ.)
- Dorskaya, A. A., Dorskiy, A. Yu. Ways to address crisis phenomena in international law: an analysis of historical experience. MCU Journal of Legal Sciences. 2024;(2):49-59. (In Russ.)
- Smorgunova, V. Yu., Protsenko, E. D., Baykeeva, S. E., et al. The international legal system and science in the context of global challenges. Collective monograph. Eds. V. Yu. Smorgunova, A. A. Dorskaya. St. Petersburg: Asterion; 2024. 192 p. (In Russ.)
- Dorskaia, A. A., Dorskii, A. Yu. Crises of the international legal system and their role in developing principles and norms of international law: retrospective analysis. Vestnik of St. Petersburg University. Law. 2024;15(3):835-846.
- Tolstykh, V. L. Problematic (critical) analysis of international law (Chapter 10). International legal problems of modern international economic law and order: multi-authored monograph of the Department of International Law of the Russian Foreign Trade Academy of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia. Moscow: All-Russian Academy of Foreign Trade; 2024. Рр. 139–154. (In Russ.)
- Kornev, V. N. Pragmatics of the language of law. Pravosudie/Justice. 2023;5(4):8-17. (In Russ.)
- Kasatkin, S. N. Jurisprudence and word usage. Project of legal dogmatics. In: S. N. Kasatkin, ed. Jurisprudence in search of identity: a collection of articles, translations, abstracts. Samara: Samara Humanitarian Academy; 2010. Рр. 10–25. (In Russ.)
- Orlova, I. A. Language as an instrument of international law design. LI International Scientific Philological Conference named after Lyudmila Alekseevna Verbitskaya (St. Petersburg, 14–21 March 2023). Collection of theses. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State University; 2023. Рр. 696–697. (In Russ.)
- Ruzakova, V. I. “Marine technology”: content of the term under the 1982 un Convention on the law of the sea. Moskovskij zhurnal mezhdunarodnogo prava = Moscow Journal of International Law. 2022;(3):119-128. (In Russ.)
- Tripel, G. On the dogmatic processing of international law (the beginning). Zhurnal mezhdunarodnogo i gosudarstvennogo prava, osnovannyj i izdavaemyj E. Smisonom = Journal of International and State Law, founded and published by E. Smison. 1897;1(3):296-306. (In Russ.)
- Collier, J. G. Is international law really part of the law of England? The International and Comparative Law Quarterly. 1989;38(4):924-935.
- Buckley, M. Origins of diplomatic immunity in England. University of Miami Law Review. 1966;21(2):349-365.
- Reeves, J. S. The influence of the law of nature upon international law in the United States. The American Journal of International Law. 1909;3(3):547-561.
- Dickinson, E. D. Changing concepts and the doctrine of incorporation. The American Journal of International Law. 1932;26(2):239-260.
- Bentham, J. An introduction to the principles of morals and legislation: printed in the year 1780 and now first published. London: T. Payne; 1789. 378 p.
- Aguesseau, H.-F. d’. Oeuvres choisies du chancelier d’Aguesseau, précédées d’une notice sur sa vie. Paris: F. Didot; 1877. 432 p.
- Fiore, P. Nouveau droit international public suivant les besoins de la civilisation moderne. Paris: A. Durand et Pedone-Lauriel; 1868–1869. 660 p.
- Martens, F. F. Modern international law of civilized peoples. Vol. 1–2. 2nd ed., rev. and cor. St. Petersburg: Printing House of the Ministry of Railways (A. Benke); 1887–1888. 611 p. (In Russ.)
- Foelix, J.-J. G. Traité du droit international privé ou Du conflit des lois de différentes nations en matière de droit privé. 2e éd. cor. et augm. Paris: Joubert, Libreries de la Cour de Cassation; 1847. 664 p.
- Bluntschli, I. Le droit international codifié. Traduit de l’allemand par M. C. Lardy. Précédé d’une préface de la I e éd. par M. Bd. Laboulaye, et d’une nouvelle préface par M. De Molinari. 2è éd. rev. et cor. Paris: Guillaumin et Cic; 1874. 600 p.
- Willoughby, W. W. The legal nature of international law. The American Journal of International Law. 1908;2(2):357-365.
- Salmond, J. W. Jurisprudence or the theory of the law. London: Stevens and Haynes; 1902. 673 p.
- Taylor, H. A Treatise on international public law. Chicago: Callaghan & Company; 1901. 912 p.
- Hershey, A. S. The essentials of international public law. New York: The Macmillan Company; 1912. 557 p.
- Dicey, A. V. The law of domicil as a branch of the law of England: stated in the form of rules. London: Stevens and Richardson, printers, 5, Great Queen Street, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, W. C.; 1879. 441 p.
- Holland, T. E. The Elements of Jurisprudence. 4th ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press; 1887. 397 p.
- Westlake, J. A treatise on private international law or the conflict of laws, with principal reference to its practice in the English and other cognate systems of jurisprudence. London: Printed by C. Roworth and sons, Bell Yard, Temple Bar; 1858. 423 p.
- Wharton, F. A treatise on the conflict of laws; or, Private international law. Vol. 1. 3rd ed. Rochester, N. Y.: The Loywers’ Co-operative Publishing Co.; 1905. 1084 p.
- Evans, L. B. Leading cases on international law. Chicago: Callaghan and Company; 1917. 520 p.
Supplementary files

