Jurisdiction of Territorial Non-State Entities in International Law

This book questions and refutes the long accepted state-based approach to jurisdiction in international law.

It argues that states are not the only subjects that can exercise jurisdiction. It draws on the experiences of territorial non-state entities (TNSEs), such as Taiwan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Somaliland, Abkhazia, and Western Sahara, illustrating their exercise of jurisdiction. The book argues for a radical re-assessment, one which would de-couple the concept of jurisdiction from theories of statehood and sovereignty.

Innovative and arguably provocative, this book offers an exciting new approach to our understanding of international law.