Background
Since 2021, the Faculty of Law at the University of Oslo has pursued a research initiative on the Interface between International and National Law, with a special emphasis on Norwegian law. The main objective of the initiative is to research the legal dimensions of the interrelationship between domestic law and a variety of branches within international law, in a comparative context. The initiative will analyze and explain how international law is currently being implemented and how it should be best implemented in Norwegian legislation, administration, and case law. For the concept note of this initiative, please see here. As part of this broader initiative, the Faculty’s Research Group on International Law has received funding from the Research Council of Norway to develop an academic network addressing the Influence of International Law on National Law (IntNatLaw). IntNatLaw is proud to organize its opening annual conference, building on previous events in Oslo and in Paris.
Traditionally, the relationship between domestic law and international law has been approached from the perspective of a binary distinction between monism and dualism. A key inquiry for IntNatLaw concerns the contemporary relevance of this distinction, and this is the overarching theme of the opening conference. Monism is taken to denote a fully integrated legal system in which international legal sources are directly applicable in the domestic context, and hierarchically superior to domestic legislation. Dualism, on the other hand, is taken to refer to a secluded relationship between domestic law and international law, according to which domestic law is a distinct legal system and international legal sources have no direct relevance in the domestic context without some act of incorporation or transposition. In recent decades, this binary approach has increasingly been exposed as lacking in explanatory force. There are arguably no domestic legal systems that are strictly monist or strictly dualist in their approach to international law. Rather, the precise relationship of any domestic order with international law seems to be more complex, often drawing on elements of both approaches across different sectors, with the overall approach being somewhere in between these two ideal types.
Beyond monism and dualism
This opening conference builds on the realization that the interrelationship between international law and domestic law in the 21st century context is more complex and dynamic than the dualism/monism dichotomy can fully account for. Dualism and monism appear to be important as ideal types (or guiding principles) for explaining any legal system’s ordering of the relationship with international law. But monism or dualism is only a starting point, modified by constitutional principles for the separations of powers, the emergence of doctrines for consistent interpretation or presumptions of compatibility, various doctrines and techniques of application that serves to tame the effect of international law in the domestic context, or the implementation of international law via legislation. Hence, the precise relationship between domestic law and international law seems more variable than binary, and as being moved by various factors, normative concerns, processes and techniques creating openings for international law and factors, concerns, processes and techniques setting up barriers against such openings.
If this is the case, do monism and dualism continue to offer any insight into the status of international law in domestic law? Perhaps the relationship between international and domestic law be more accurately described by other concepts and approaches – but which? How do states that traditionally adhere to either ideal type respond to contemporary challenges in international law, such as the proliferation and fragmentation of international norms and international tribunals? How do they determine the content of international law when this is applied in a domestic context? IntNatLaw’s opening conference will explores these and related questions from an international and from a Nordic perspective.
Registration
Due to limited space, registration is required for this event.
Questions about the conference should be directed to Mahalet Tadesse.
Program
The first day of the conference will address the contemporary (ir)relevance of monism and dualism from an international and a comparative perspective, exploring the current international research agenda. The second day is aimed more at a Norwegian and a Nordic context, exploring how international experiences can inform the regional legal context and how Nordic legal systems respond to contemporary challenges.
Thursday 16 November at 13:00 to 18:00: International perspectives
13:00 - 13:15 Introducing IntNatLaw
Kjetil Mujezinović Larsen
State Secretary Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
13:15 - 14:00 Revisiting the concepts of monism and dualism
Speaker: Thordis Ingadottir
14:00 - 14:15 Break
14:15 - 15:00 Constitutional limits to the application of international law - the "equivalent protection" test?
Speaker: Johann Ruben Leiss
Commentator: Veronika Bílková
15:00 - 15:45 Mixing international and national law in practice - Implementing and prosecuting international crimes
Speaker: Larissa van den Herik
Commentator: Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen
15:45 - 16:00 Break
16:00 - 16:45 Mixing international and national law in practice - Indigenous peoples' rights and the international/national law divide
Speaker: Helmut Aust
Commentator: Vibeke Blaker Strand
16:45 - 17:00 Break
17:00 - 17:45 Deference by international courts and tribunals to domestic decision-making: Who has the last word?
Speaker: Geir Ulfstein
Commentator: Veronika Bílková
17:45 - 18:00 Wrapping up and looking forward: IntNatLaw 2023 - 2027
Kjetil Mujezinović Larsen
About the speakers
Helmut Aust is Professor of Law at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
Veronika Bílková is Professor of International Law at the Charles University in Prague, the Czech Republic.
Larissa van den Herik is Professor of Public International Law at Leiden University, the Netherlands.
Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen is Professor of Law and Dean of Research at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Vibeke Blaker Strand is Professor of Law and Vice-Dean of Research at the University of Oslo, Norway.
Thordis Ingadottir is Professor of Law at Reykjavik University, Iceland.
Kjetil Mujezinović Larsen is Professor of Law at the University of Oslo, Norway.
Geir Ulfstein is Professor Emeritus of Law at the University of Oslo, Norway.
Johann Ruben Leiss is Associate Professor of Law at the University of Oslo, Norway.
Friday 17 November at 09.00 - 13.00: Norwegian and Nordic perspectives
The proceedings will be held in the Nordic languages.
09:00 - 09:10 Innledning til dagens tema
Kjetil Mujezinović Larsen
09:10 - 09:50 Norsk sektormonisme
Innleder: Marius Emberland
Kommentator: Jørgen Sørgard Skjold
09:50 - 10:20 Aktuelle spørsmål i svensk rett
Innleder: Inger Österdahl
10:20 - 10:40 Pause
10:40 - 11:10 Aktuelle spørsmål i dansk rett
Innleder: Ole Terkelsen
11.10 - 11.50 Utfordringer ved gjennomføring av EØS-rett i nasjonal rett - særlig om regelmengde og fragmentering av regelverk
Innleder: Ole-Andreas Rognstad
Kommentator: Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen
11:50 - 12:10 Pause
12:10 - 12:50 Nasjonale domstolers folkerettslige metode
Innledning om Høyesterett: Anders Narvestad
Innledning om underinstansene: Stian Øby Johansen
12:50 - 13:00 Avslutning og veien videre for IntNatLaw
Kjetil Mujezinović Larsen
Om innlederne
Marius Emberland er professor i rettsvitenskap ved Handelshøyskolen BI.
Stian Øby Johansen er førsteamanuensis i rettsvitenskap ved Universitetet i Oslo.
Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen er professor i rettsvitenskap og forskningsdekan ved Københavns universitet, Danmark.
Kjetil Mujezinović Larsen er professor i rettsvitenskap ved Universitetet i Oslo.
Anders Narvestad er advokat hos Regjeringsadvokaten.
Ole-Andreas Rognstad er professor i rettsvitenskap ved Universitetet i Oslo.
Jørgen Sørgard Skjold er rådgiver i Utenriksdepartementets rettsavdeling og førsteamanuensis II ved Universitetet i Oslo.
Ole Terkelsen er lektor ved Aarhus universitet, Danmark.
Inger Österdahl er professor i rettsvitenskap ved Universitetet i Uppsala, Sverige.