Virtual Library

This WWW Virtual Library: International Affairs Resources is an Internet directory of over 2000 annotated links to high-quality English-language sources of information and analysis in many international and global studies topics. Sites are carefully selected for their long-term value, favoring those with cost-free, authoritative information and analysis online.

INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL LAW


Limited Area Search Engines, Portals, Directories, Networks, and Guides
Other Sources


Limited Area Search Engines, Portals, Directories, Networks, and Guides about International and National Law


Limited Area Search Engines


Australasian Legal Information Institute-- AustLII, a search engine for Australian legal information.


World Legal Information Institute-- WorldLII, a "free, independent and non-profit global legal research facility developed collaboratively by [many] legal information institutes and other organisations," with databases and website catalog guide for online law research.


Portals, Directories, Networks, and Guides


American Society of International Law-- The professional society for those interested in international law. Excellent online information and publications. The eResources section provides access to international law resources, from primary source documents to ASIL publications, for online research. Note especially the Electronic Information System for International Law, an excellent database with sophisticated search capabilities to find primary documents, recommended websites, and research guides in the principal areas of international law.


Audiovisual Library of International Law-- From the United Nations, "a unique, multimedia resource... to provide high quality international law training and research materials to an unlimited number of recipients on a global level." Composed of the Historic Archives of documents and audiovisual materials, a recorded Lecture Series, and a Research Library "providing an on-line international law library with links to treaties, jurisprudence, publications and documents, scholarly writings and research guides."


Constitute-- Major project presents "the world’s constitutions to read, search, and compare," translated into English and current for most independent states. Interface allows full-text download in PDF, filtered search, topical approach, and comparison and contrast capabilities, among others.

ConstitutionNet-- "Established as a joint initiative of International IDEA and Interpeace and maintained by IDEA with funding from the Government of Norway. It aims to service the knowledge needs of an expanding group of those involved in constitution building." Extensive set of knowledge tools, country information, data, constitutions and related documents, issue papers, multimedia, and more about the world's constitutions and constitution-building.


ECOLEX: The Gateway to Environmental Law-- From the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Conservation Union, several large databases of national and international legal instruments and materials related to environmental management, searchable by subject area, keyword, country, or date.

EUR-Lex-- The searchable portal of the European Union for European Union Law, including the Official Journal of the European Union.


Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Research-- Wide-ranging research guide from the Library of the Yale Law School. Also try that Library's Country by Country Research Guide to foreign law research.


Global [Legal] Research Tools-- From New York University's School of Law, very helpful portal that "facilitates the efforts of those engaged in the study of global law to more effectively target their research or focus their instruction through... online teaching materials to international law instructors,... searchable databases for locating particular subject matters within global journals and indexes,... linked guides to other online global law resources, and... the European and global law book review programs."


Harvard Law School Library posts very useful research guides for Foreign and International Law Gateways, International Legal Research:Useful Databases and Websites, and International Human Rights, among others.

infolaw--Gateway to the UK Legal Web-- Includes website listings of all UK law firms, groups, barristers chambers, law associations, and other lawyers, many selected legal resources, and more.


International Constitutional Law-- "Provides English translations of and other textual material related to constitutional documents. It cross-references those documents for quick comparison of constitutional provisions." The constitutions of most countries are in the database.

International Tribunals Web Archive-- "Organized and managed by the [U.S.] Library of Congress with the purpose of digitally storing relevant websites hosting information about the most important international tribunals created since World War II... for researchers today and in the future."


Jurist: The Legal Education Network-- From the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, the international section of an excellent legal affairs portal, with a U.S. version as well.


Law Library of the U.S. Congress-- Provides the Guide to Law Online,"an annotated guide to sources of information on government and law available online," and the guide to Foreign, Comparative, and International Law. The Global Legal Monitor is "an online publication from the Law Library of Congress covering legal news and developments worldwide." You may wish to consult the Law Library's blog.


Lawlinks-- From the University of Kent in the UK, "to help students and others find their way around legal resources on the Internet." Posts guides on Internet legal research and many annotated links by topic or region.

Legislation.gov.uk-- Official repository of all approved legislation of the United Kingdom for over 1000 years, both original and as amended, "managed by The National Archives on behalf of HM Government."


Oceans and Law of the Sea-- From the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations, a major portal site on the topic.


Peace Palace Library Research Guides-- From The Hague, "introduce the researcher to the main topics of international law, both public and private. Besides providing a brief introduction, the guides also suggest certain books, articles, databases and other materials considered indispensable... A short description of the subject is followed by links to the Peace Palace Library Catalogue, online resources, websites and other resources." Note the many research guides listed in the drop-down menu at the top of the page. The Library maintains a blog on topics of international law.

TransLex-- From the Center for Transnational Law, a research facility at the University of Cologne School of Law, "a research and codification platform for transnational [commercial] law," mainly on European Union members, that allows you to search the entire database, or "browse through any of the four sections: principles, bibliography, materials or links."

United Nations International Law Guide-- Information on the law generally, and as it relates to key topics and international treaties, the International Criminal Court, and U. N. legal bodies, including the ICJ. Note the website of the International Law Commission of the United Nations. The United Nations Juridical Yearbook includes "certain documentary materials of a legal character concerning the United Nations and related intergovernmental organizations." The United Nations Treaty Collection "offers access to... records of [bilateral and multilateral] treaties and related subsequent treaty actions" and to much other material related to treaty law.


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Other Sources about International and National Law



Antislavery in Domestic Legislation-- From the University of Nottingham and Monash University, "compiles the constitutional, criminal, and labour legislation of all 193 UN Member States... to assess the extent to which slavery and related forms of human exploitation have been prohibited in domestic law." Features multifaceted world map of results and country summaries.


Center for International Environmental Law-- "Nonprofit organization working to use international law and institutions to protect the environment, promote human health, and ensure a just and sustainable society... CIEL’s work covers more than sixty countries on six continents." Posts information and publications in many areas of environmental law.


European Court of Human Rights-- "The only truly judicial organ established by the European Convention on Human Rights... [ensuring], in the last instance, that contracting states observe their obligations under the Convention... All of the Court's judgments, and a significant selection of decisions and reports, are published [online] in the HUDOC database." The Press Service is a good source about the Court’s case-law and pending cases.

International Commission of Jurists-- A leading organization of eminent jurists representative of the different legal systems of the world and "dedicated to the primacy, coherence and implementation of international law and principles that advance human rights."

International Court of Justice-- Information from and about the World Court, an organ of the United Nations, such as history, jurisdiction, composition, cases, and basic documents.

International Criminal Court-- Official site of the United Nations court established to try individuals for participation in war crimes and genocide. Posts information about the Court and its cases, videos of Court proceedings, educational materials, the Official Journal of the ICC, and more.

International Humanitarian Law Database-- Keyword and country searches in treaties, documents, national laws, commentaries, and reports, from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

International Water Law Project-- Provides information and links on international water law, treaties, policy, and related topics, with documents, case law, and bibliography.



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This section of the WWW Virtual Library system was created, and is edited and maintained, by Dr. Wayne A.Selcher, Professor of International Studies Emeritus, Department of Political Science, Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA 17022-2288  U.S.A., as a volunteer and non-profit public service. This website copyright 1997-present by Wayne A. Selcher. E-mail: wayneselcher@comcast.net