Question and Question Context
To what extent can we see the doctrine of (1) intertemporal law in the (2) Island of Palmas arbitration (Island of Palmas (Netherlands v USA) (1928) 2 RIAA 829) as providing the legal basis for the upholding the (3) territorial claims of colonial powers?
Issues to Address
• The Award in the Island of Palmas case
• The relationship between the rules on territorial acquisition in
the Island of Palmas Award and the fact of European colonial
expansion
• The importance of the doctrine of intertemporal law
• You can also be critical here of the role of international law in the
European “Colonial Project