The Concept of a Global Legal System

The Many Lives of Transnational Law: Critical Engagements with Jessup’s Bold Proposal, Peer Zumbansen, ed., Cambridge University Press 2020

UC Irvine School of Law Research Paper No. 2021-13

15 Pages Posted: 23 Feb 2021

See all articles by Christopher A. Whytock

Christopher A. Whytock

University of California, Irvine, School of Law

Date Written: February 22, 2021

Abstract

An enduring contribution of Philip Jessup’s Transnational Law, published in 1956, is his critique of “international law” and his case for a functionalist concept of “transnational law” defined as rules—international, national or private—that offer solutions to transnational problems. Extending Jessup’s argument, this chapter critiques the concept of the “international legal system,” proposes an alternative concept of the “global legal system,” and offers an analytical framework for understanding that system. The global legal system consists of not only rules, but also courts and other institutions, that provide legal solutions to transnational problems. These institutions are national, international, private, and sometimes hybrid. Among the solutions provided are three generic governance functions: prescription, adjudication and enforcement. More than one institution may provide solutions to a given transnational problem, creating a need for choice across three dimensions: national-national, national-international and public-private. The global legal system uses three types of principles to guide these choices: principles of authority, allocation and party autonomy. This chapter’s concept of a global legal system aims to provide a coherent way of thinking about the multiple transnational problem-solving functions of legal systems and the multiple levels at which those functions are performed.

Keywords: Global Legal System, International Legal System, Transnational Law, International Law, Global Law, Conflict of Laws, Private International Law, International Courts, Private Authority, International Relations, World Politics, Global Governance, Jessup

Suggested Citation

Whytock, Christopher A., The Concept of a Global Legal System (February 22, 2021). The Many Lives of Transnational Law: Critical Engagements with Jessup’s Bold Proposal, Peer Zumbansen, ed., Cambridge University Press 2020, UC Irvine School of Law Research Paper No. 2021-13, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3790940

Christopher A. Whytock (Contact Author)

University of California, Irvine, School of Law ( email )

401 East Peltason Drive, Suite 1000
Irvine, CA 92697-8000
United States
(949) 824-0496 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.law.uci.edu

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
208
Abstract Views
923
Rank
266,425
PlumX Metrics