III. Define if the following sentences are true or false. Use the required information from the text above and correct the false statements.

a) The most significant political outcome of the vision of international law as a legal system is the empowerment of courts to develop international law beyond the intention of governments.

b) Recourse to the doctrines of customary international law does not allow judges considerable discretion to make new law while couching it in existing practices or fundamental norms.

c) Governments tend to prefer rules on treaty interpretation that look back to the historical intention of the negotiators.

d) The impact of unequal economic or military power between states is unlikely during treaty negotiations than when courts are called upon to interpret and enforce the treaty.

e) The international obligations of states fluctuate with the ebb and flow of world events.

Language focus

I. Vocabulary notes

1. System n: 1. a group of related parts that move or work together (case system); 2. a way of managing, controlling, organizing, or doing something that follows a set of rules or a plan (legal system, judicial system, legislative system, democratic system of government, system of law); 3. the system disapproving: a powerful government or social organization that controls people's lives (You can't beat the system).

Systemic adj: of or relating to an entire system (The problem seems to be systemic).

Systematic adj: using a careful system or method: done according to a system (We used a systematic approach to solve the problem. He is very systematic [=methodical] in his work, the systematic production of cars).

Systematically adv: We approached the problem systematically.

2. Conjunction n: 1. a situation in which two or more things happen at the same time or in the same place (an unfortunate conjunction [=concurrence] of events); 2. in conjunction with - in combination with, together with (The medicine is typically used in conjunction with other treatments).

3. Embark v: 1. to begin a journey especially on a ship or airplane (The troops are waiting to embark); 2. embark on/upon (something) to begin something that will take a long time or happen for a long time (She's embarking on a new career).

Embarkation n: a port of embarkation.

4. Norm n: 1. standards of proper or acceptable behavior (legal norm); 2. the norm: something such as a behavior or way of doing something that is usual or expected (Smaller families have become the norm). 

Normative adj: based on what is considered to be the usual or correct way of doing something (normative rules of ethics, normative tests/grammar).

5. Community n: 1. a group of people who live in the same area such as a city, town, or neighborhood (local community); 2. a group of people who have the same interests, religion, race, etc. (a business community, ethnic/religious communities, the scientific community, governmental community, intelligence community); 3. a group of nations (the international community, community of nations); 4. Integral part (community of criminal purpose, community of goods).

6. Legal adj: 1. of or relating to the law (legal problems, legal books, a legal adviser/representative, a country's legal system [=the way that laws are made and controlled in a country]); 2. based on the law (legal rights, legal force, legal limit, legal action, legal proceedings [=actions taken to settle an argument in a court of law]); 3. allowed by the law or by the rules in a game (“Is it legal to fish in this river?” “Yes, it's perfectly legal”). 

Opposite: illegal.

Legality n:  a state or quality of being legal; adherence to or observance of the law (We questioned the legality[=lawfulness] of the testing). 

Legally adv: Legally, they cannot do that.   

Legalize v:  1. to make (something) legal;  2. to allow (something) by law (The government has legalized the use of the new drug). 

Opposite: criminalize.

Legalization n: the legalization of a drug.

7. Apply v: 1. a) to put to use especially for some practical purpose (apply pressure); b) to put into operation or effect (apply a law); 2. to employ diligently or with close attention (apply yourself to your work); 3. to make an appeal or request especially in the form of a written application (apply for a job).

Applier n: a person who requests or seeks something such as assistance or employment or admission.

Applicant n: someone who formally asks for something (such as a job or admission to a college).

Application n: 1. an act of applying, an act of putting to use (application of new techniques); 2. request, petition (an application for financial aid); 3. capacity for practical use (words of varied application).