The Politics of International Law and Compliance

Book excerpt: Leading the debate on the domestic effect of the growing influence of international adjudication, this invaluable text examines Serbia and Croatia’s erratic record of compliance with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Since the demise of the Milosevic and Tudjman regimes, Serbian and Croatian governments have been inconsistent in cooperating with the ICTY, despite the conditions of EU membership and US financial incentives. This study reconstructs events before, during and after extradition to build up a picture of the complex politics involved in ICTY relations, and provides a conceptual framework to study compliance in international relations and law. Through this analysis, a historical tracing of varied factors of political influence and a conceptualization of compliance is provided, resulting in a rich interdisciplinary work embracing political science, international relations and social theory. By scrutinizing the social meanings and political practices which become attached to prescribed norms in compliance processes, this book provides a highly-relevant insight into contemporary meanings of ‘compliance’. Politics of International Law and Compliance will be of interest to students and scholars of politics, international relations and international law, and European politics.