Introduction

Private International Law or International Private Law governs the choice of law to apply when there are conflicts in the domestic law of different countries related to private transactions. This means that there is a dispute or transaction that involves one of the following:

• what jurisdiction applies - choice of court, forum selection, renvoi (transfer of proceedings)
• choice of applicable law
• recognition or enforcement of a foreign judgment

In the United States, Canada, and Great Britain it is also known as conflict of laws.

National laws are the primary sources of Private International Law. Private International Law is also embodied in treaties and conventions, model laws, legal guides, and other instruments that regulate transactions. Private International Law deals with a variety of topics, such as (international) contracts, torts (lex loci delicti), family matters, recognition of judgments, child adoption and abduction, real property (lex rei sitae), intellectual property.

This Research Guide is intended as a starting point for research in the field of Private International Law in General. It provides the basic legal materials available in the Peace Palace Library, both in print and electronic format. Handbooks, leading articles, bibliographies, periodicals, serial publications and documents of interest are presented in the Selective Bibliography section. Links to the PPL Catalogue are inserted. The Library's systematic classification → Private international law and subject heading (keyword) Private International Law are instrumental for searching through the Catalogue. Special attention is given to our subscriptions on databases, e-journals, e-books and other electronic resources. Finally, this Research Guide features links to relevant websites and other online resources of particular interest.

Bibliography

New titles

Librarian's choice

• Cuniberti, G., Conflict of Laws: a Comparative Approach: Text and Cases, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2017.

  

  The Conflict of Laws, also known as private international law, is a field of the greatest importance in an increasingly globalized world. The analysis of any legal issue, in a case involving more than one country, must start with an assessment of which court could potentially hear the case and which law it would apply.
  Contrary to other manuals or casebooks, which focus on the law of one jurisdiction, this casebook offers a comparative treatment of the field. On each issue, materials from several jurisdictions are discussed and compared. The approach centers on comprehending the common principles of the field, but also highlights the fundamental differences.
  This casebook systematically presents and compares the laws of four jurisdictions: the United States, the European Union, France and England (where left untouched by EU harmonization). It offers additional insight into rules applicable in China and Japan and also discusses remarkable solutions adopted in a wide range of jurisdictions such as Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and Tunisia. All materials from non-English speaking jurisdictions have been translated into English.

  View this title in our link resolver Plinklet
  

• Fawcett, J.J., Shúilleabháin. M.N., Shah, S., Human Rights and Private International Law, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.

  

  A comprehensive analysis of the relationship between human rights and private international law. Contains a focussed discussion of individual rights through human rights jurisprudence and the imapct of this on aspects of private international law. The book treats  numerous English private international law cases discussing human rights concerns arising in the commercial law context, alongside high profile cases dealing with torture and same sex marriage.The right to a fair trial is central to the intersection between human rights and private international law, and is considered in depth along with the right to freedom of expression; the right to respect for private and family life; the right to marry; the right to property; and the prohibition of discrimination on the ground of religion, sex, or nationality. Focussing on, though not confined to, the human rights set out in the ECHR, the work also examines the rights laid down under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and other international human rights instruments.

  View this title in our link resolver Plinklet
  

• Azzi, T. and O. Boskovic (eds.), Quel Avenir Pour La Théorie Générale Des Conflits De Lois?: Droit Européen, Droit Conventionnel, Droit Commun, Bruxelles, Bruylant, 2015.

  

  La période contemporaine se caractérise en droit international privé par une très importante diversification des sources. Cette diversification est particulièrement présente dans le domaine des conflits de lois. De nombreuses règles de conflit nouvelles ont été adoptées : certaines sont issues de règlements européens ou de conventions internationales ; d’autres ont été créées à l’initiative des législateurs nationaux. À la diversité des sources s’ajoute une diversité des matières concernées : obligations contractuelles et non contractuelles, divorce et séparation de corps, successions, obligations alimentaires, adoption, partenariats enregistrés, mariage, etc. On constate ainsi une accumulation de textes spéciaux. Ce double mouvement – diversification des sources et multiplication des textes spéciaux – invite à s’interroger sur l’avenir de la théorie générale des conflits de lois. Pareille théorie repose sur l’étude de mécanismes transversaux afférents à la mise en œuvre des règles de conflit : qualification, renvoi, lois de police, exception d’ordre public, fraude à la loi, règles relatives à l’office du juge. La situation est telle que l’on s’interroge sur l’opportunité de l’adoption d’un règlement européen qui lui serait exclusivement dédié. Il est donc fondamental de réfléchir à l’avenir de ladite théorie et de proposer des solutions cohérentes assurant un fonctionnement satisfaisant des règles de conflit nationales et européennes.

  View this title in our link resolver Plinklet
  

• Van Calster, G., European Private International Law, Oxford, Hart Publishing, 2016.

  

  As one of the most definitive texts on the market, European Private International Law provides an essential guide for both students and practitioners to the complex field of international litigation within the EU. The private international law of the Member States is increasingly regulated by European law, making private international law ever less 'national' and ever more EU based. Consequentially EU law in this area has penetrated national law to a very high degree, making it an essential area of study and an area of increasing importance to practising lawyers. This book provides a thorough overview of core European private international law, including the Brussels I, Rome I and Rome II Regulations (jurisdiction, applicable law for contracts and tort), while additional chapters deal with the recently adopted Succession Regulation, private international law and insolvency, freedom of establishment, and the impact of PIL on corporate social responsibility.

  View this title in our link resolver Plinklet
  

• Basedow, J., The Law of Open Societies: Private Ordering and Public Regulation in the Conflict of Laws, Leiden, Brill Nijhoff, 2015.

  

  This book endeavours to interpret the development of private international law in light of social change. Since the end of World War II the socio-economic reality of international relations has been characterised by a progressive move from closed to open societies. The dominant feature of our time is the opening of borders for individuals, goods, services, capital and data. It is reflected in the growing importance of ex ante planning – as compared with ex post adjudication – of cross-border relations between individuals and companies. What has ensued is a shift in the forces that shape international relations from states to private actors. The book focuses on various forms of private ordering for economic and societal relations, and its increasing significance, while also analysing the role of the remaining regulatory powers of the states involved. These changes stand out more distinctly by virtue of the comparative treatment of the law and the long-term perspective employed by the author. The text is a revised and updated version of the lectures given by the author during the 2012 summer courses of the Hague Academy of International Law.

  View this title in our link resolver Plinklet
  

• Briggs, A., Private International Law in English Courts, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014.

  

  This book offers a restatement of European and English Private International Law as it applies in the English courts. The author has set out to create a contemporary approach to private international law which is distinguished from the traditional approach of describing private international law through its common law foundations. The author places European Regulations, and related statutory material, at the front and centre of the book, reorganising private international law according to the principles that the law is increasingly European and decreasingly insular. As such the work constitutes an approach to the area which is essential for litigators dealing with questions of private international law influenced by forty years of European legislation. The in-depth discussion will also be valuable to academics specialising in private international law. Written by an academic who is also a practising barrister, this book seeks to highlight the techniques and principles which provide the hidden infrastructure and support mechanisms for the private international law rules of European law, as well as the remaining standing of the common law rules of private international law.

  View this title in our link resolver Plinklet
  

• Borchers, P.J. (ed.), Jurisdiction and Private International Law, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishers, 2014.

  

  In an increasingly globalized and digitized world, transactions, communications and data flow freely across national borders. When lawsuits arise as a result of those trans-border events, the question of which court or courts have jurisdiction and can provide the appropriate forum becomes critical. This two-volume collection provides a survey of personal jurisdiction across both time and legal systems. It includes articles ranging from the early 20th century to present day and to the problems created by jurisdiction in cyberspace. It also examines the jurisdictional premises of major common law countries and those in the civilian tradition. With an original introduction by the editor, these comprehensive volumes will appeal to scholars and practitioners alike.

  View this title in our link resolver Plinklet
  

• Anderson, W., Caribbean Private International Law, London, Sweet and Maxwell, 2014.

  

  -- Describes the rules regarding the regulation of cross-border activities and covers relevant aspects of transactions in both commercial and family matters
  -- The only indigenous text describing the rules that apply in the 15 member states of the Caribbean community regarding the regulation of cross-border activities
  -- Highlights the importance of private international law to the economic and financial development in the Caribbean

  View this title in our link resolver Plinklet
  

• Symeonides, S.C., Codifying Choice of Law around the World: An International Comparative Analysis, New York, Oxford University Press, 2014.

  

  This book chronicles, documents, and celebrates an extraordinary development in the history of Private International Law (PIL) or Conflict of Laws---a massive codification movement around the globe in the last 50 years (1962–2012). During this period, we have witnessed the adoption of more PIL codifications, Regulations, international conventions, protocols, and similar instruments (nearly 200) than in all previous years since the inception of PIL. The book provides a horizontal comparison and discussion of these codifications and conventions. After comparing the way they resolve tort and contract conflicts, the discussion compares the answers of these codifications to some of the fundamental philosophical and methodological dilemmas of PIL. In the process, the book re-examines certain widely held assumptions about choice of law and the art and science of codification in general.

  View this title in our link resolver Plinklet
  

• A Commitment to Private International Law: Essays in Honour of Hans van Loon, Cambridge, Intersentia, 2013.

  

  Hans van Loon has been at the forefront of private international law for well over a quarter of a century. Since joining the Hague Conference on Private International Law in 1978, he has presided over remarkable growth of the Organisation and significant changes to how it operates. He has been involved in the development of nine Hague Conventions, two of which are fast approaching 100 Contracting States, as well as the revision of the Statute of the Hague Conference. In his time as Secretary General, he has seen the Organisation's membership grow from 44 to 72 Members (with more than 60 non-Member States now party to at least one Hague Convention), which has turned the Hague Conference into a veritable world organisation. The continued relevance of the Hague Conference in the 21st century owes much to the commitment of Hans van Loon to private international law and his awareness of its role in a broader social context. This Liber Amicorum is a collection of contributions from friends and colleagues who have shared the negotiating table with Hans van Loon at various diplomatic sessions, collaborated with him on seminars and academic pursuits around the globe, and worked alongside him at the Permanent Bureau.

  View this title in our link resolver Plinklet
  

• Garcimartín Alférez, F.J., Derecho internacional privado, Madrid, Civitas/Thomson Reuters, 2016.

  

  Esta obra describe y analiza las normas fundamentales del Derecho internacional privado vigente en España. Su contenido descansa sobre los tres sectores principales que componen esta disciplina: la competencia judicial internacional, la ley aplicable y el reconocimiento de decisiones extranjeras.

  View this title in our link resolver Plinklet
  

Database

Blogs

• Interview Professor Yves Daudet

  Professor Daudet officially retired as Secretary-General of The Hague Academy of International Law. A special farewell ceremony and reception were held in his honor during which the new Secretary- General, Professor Jean- Marc Thouvenin was formally introduced. Mr Daudet graciously agreed to be interviewed. Find out more how he looks back on his time at the Academy, his many highlights and accomplishments and how he will continue to stay involved in the future of the Academy.

  Read more

• The Harmonization of European Family Law: Work in Progress

  With the aim of offering citizens in the European Union legal certainty in cross border family law situations the EU has increasingly come to define key aspects of jurisdiction, applicable law and recognition and enforcement of judgments on divorce, maintenance, and disputes over children, including international child abduction, and provided new frameworks for cross-national cooperation. This blog gives an overview of the main EU regulations in the field of international family law.

  Read more

• Towards a Toolbox for Nationality Legislation

  From 13 to 14 October Prof. Dr. Gerard–René de Groot will host his farewell seminar on the ”Future of nationality law” at Maastricht University. In this seminar specialists in the field of nationality law will discuss how academia and civil society can best collaborate in the fight to eradicate statelessness. With whole populations adrift, nationality and citizenship today are critically important to gain admittance in a state. Nationality is in fact commonly regarded as an inalienable right of every human being. Thus, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) states that “everyone has the right to a nationality” and that “no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality.”

  Read more

• The Hague Academy of International Law: Celebrating 90 Years of Academic Excellence

  On July 24, 1923, ten years after the opening of the Peace Palace, the Hague Academy of International Law was solemnly inaugurated in the Peace Palace ‘to teach subjects which are most important from the point of view of theory, practice, legislation and international jurisprudence, in particular from deliberations of conferences and arbitral awards’ (Art. 3 of its statute adopted in 1914).

  Read more

• Shell and Ogoni People : (s)oil pollution in the Niger Delta

  On January 30, 2013, the court (Rechtbank) in the Hague, The Netherlands, ruled that Royal Dutch Shell can be held partially responsible for pollution in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region and ordered it to pay damages to one farmer. The Dutch court dismissed four out of five allegations of the Ogoni people against the oil company. Although Shell blames the oil pollution to sabotage, activists say the case could set a precedent for damage claims related to the foreign activities of multinational companies.

  Read more

• Immunities in Public and Private International Law - 9th Session of the Seminar for Advanced Studies, 13-19 January 2013

  Each year the Hague Academy of International law, one of the most renowned academic institutions in Europe, holds a seminar devoted to various aspects of public and private international law. The theme of this year’s seminar will be: ”Les immunités en droit international public et privé” (Immunities in public and private international law). This Programme of Advanced Studies will take place from 13 to 19 January 2013 at the Academy building in The Hague.

  Read more

• Inspiration and innovation in international law and politics, 100 years Nobel peace prize Tobias Asser

  The conference in honor of the late Tobias Asser, a hundred years after receiving the Nobel peace prize, featured a day long program with various speakers, presentations and panel discussions. The following is a selection of the opinions delivered by some of the most prominent speakers on the subjects of public international law and private international law. For a more detailed account of the life and legacy of Tobias Asser, please see ‘The learned guide of our nation …’.

  Read more

• The Special Commission on the implementation of the 2007 Child Support Convention and of the Protocol on Applicable Law

  From 10 to 17 November a Special Commission of the Conference on Private International Law (hereafter HCCH) on the implementation of the 2007 Child Support Convention and of the Protocol on Applicable Law will meet at the Peace Palace in The Hague. The Special Commission of the HCCH will discuss the implementation of the 2007 Child Support Convention and of the Protocol on Applicable Law. The new Convention aims to resolve the problems of unpaid or uncollectible child support and the problems of costly, complicated, slow and under-utilized international procedures. It will provide for a simplified procedure to recover child support internationally.

  Read more

• Cultural Diversity

  On Monday the 17th of August 2009 the Centre for Studies and Research in International Law and International Relations of the Hague Academy of International Law started. The Centre takes place annually at the Academy and Library building of the Peace Palace. The purpose of the Centre is to bring together advanced young scholars of […]

  Read more

• Shell Settles Nigerian Claims of Human Rights Violations

  On Monday, 8 June Royal Dutch Shell, Europe’s largest oil producer, reached a 15.5 million dollar settlement in a lawsuit brought against it by the families of the nine Nigerian activists who were killed in 1995. The lawsuit, which was brought to a New York court under the US Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA), accused Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary of complicity in the hanging and the killings or persecution of the environmental activists.

  Read more

Links

See also

More Research guides on Private International Law

• Intellectual Property
• International Commercial Law
• International Contracts
• International Family Law

PPL keywords

• Conflict of laws
• Private international law

Other suggestions