O WYKŁADNI MIĘDZYNARODOWEGO PRAWA TRAKTATOWEGO I ZWYCZAJOWEGO (Z UWZGLĘDNIENIEM MIĘDZYNARODOWEGO PRAWA HUMANITARNEGO)

Abstract

The author presents the rules o f interpreting treaty and customary international law putting special emphasis on the international humanitarian law. In the introduction, characteristic features of public international law have been mentioned as they influence methods of interpretation. In the subsequent part of the article the author analyzes methods of interpretation (inter alia literal, systematic and functional) on the basis o f the Vienna Convention of the Law of Treaties of 23 May 1969 and taking into account the judgments of the Permanent Court of International Justice and the International Court of Justice. Using this background, the author attempted to - on a concrete example of the international humanitarian law and the International Committee of the Red Cross Study Customary International Humanitarian Law - present problems and issues connected with the interpretation of the treaty and customary international law. Even though the customary law norm will never achieve such a degree of clarity and precision as a treaty norm, role of the former one does not diminish and there still exists a need for interpretation and writing on interpretation of the customary international law (as well as the treaty law).