Democracy, Minorities and International Law

Examines the regulation of cultural conflicts from the perspective of international law.

Steven Wheatley (Author)

9780521848985, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 December 2005

226 pages
23.5 x 16 x 2 cm, 0.508 kg

' … the book marks a valuable contribution to the agenda of the Cambridge Studies in International and Comparative Law and the other titles in this series … [it] will provide a useful and informative read for many political scientists, international relations scholars and other social scientists as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students in these disciplines.' The Society of Legal Scholars

This work explores the contribution that international law may make to the resolution of culture conflicts - political disputes between the members of different ethno-cultural groups - in democratic States. International law recognises that persons belonging to minorities have the right to enjoy their own culture and peoples have the right to self-determination without detailing how these principles are to be put into effect. The emergence of democracy as a legal obligation of States permits the international community to concern itself with both the procedure and substance of 'democratic' decisions concerning ethno-cultural groups. Democracy is not to be understood simply as majority rule. Cultural conflicts in democratic States must be resolved in a way that is either acceptable or defensible and defeasible to all citizens, including persons belonging to ethno-cultural minorities. Democracy, Minorities and International Law examines the implications of this recognition.

Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations
Table of cases, opinions, treaties and other documents
Introduction
1. The rights of minorities
2. The self-determination of peoples
3. Democracy
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: International humanitarian law [LBBS], International human rights law [LBBR], International law [LB], International relations [JPS]