This volume investigates the evolving state of international legal practice and theory as it stood in 1981. Editors Derek Bowett and Ian Brownlie, both distinguished scholars in the field of international law, curate a collection of scholarly articles and case notes that examine the application of legal principles across sovereign borders. The work provides a rigorous analysis of the precedents and diplomatic challenges defining the international legal landscape during this specific historical period.

Experts and legal practitioners regard this series as a foundational archival resource for tracking the historical progression of international jurisprudence. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for researchers and legal professionals requiring precise documentation of 20th-century legal standards.