Aspects and Limitations of the Judicialization of International Dispute Settlement: Analysis of the so-called "Implicated Issue" Problem

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K01159
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 05030:International law-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Kitamura Tomofumi 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 准教授 (20613144)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: フラグメンテーション / 国際裁判 / 管轄権 / 適用法 / 司法化 / ICJ / UNCLOS / WTO

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of treaties with clauses such as "disputes concerning the interpretation and application of the present Convention shall be referred to the International Court of Justice," based on which many disputes are submitted to international judicial settlement. However, in a case where a matter concerning the interpretation and application of international law other than the "present Convention" is involved as an issue which is preliminary to a matter (claim) concerning the interpretation and application of the "present Convention," a question arises as to whether an international court can or should exercise jurisdiction over the claim (the so-called "implicated issue" problem). This study analyzed international court cases in which such questions have arisen and decisions have been made, as well as previous studies that have examined these cases, and revealed how each case should be understood and evaluated.

Free Research Field

国際法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の主題であるいわゆる「巻き込まれた問題」の問題は、裁判条項等の国の合意の解釈から答えを導くことが困難であるからこそ生じている問題と言えるが、先行研究は、黙示的権限論等に依拠してなお国の合意の解釈を試み、これによって無理に導かれた基準にしたがって各裁判例の適否を断じ、あるべき判断を論じている点で問題がある。本研究は、裁判例の多様性は事案の特殊性に根ざした対応の多様性を示しているとの理解に基づき、各裁判例にいかなる要因が作用していたと考えられるかを分析し、明らかにしたもので、新たな視点と知見を加えたものと言える。本研究の成果は、日本の国際裁判への対応や戦略を考える上でも重要な示唆を有する。