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The Function of Equity in International Law
The Function of Equity
in International Law
C AT HA R I N E T I T I
1
3
Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX2 6DP,
United Kingdom
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford.
It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship,
and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of
Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries
Aequitas soror iuris. If equity is the sister of the law, she is a much-neglected
sibling. Only rarely does equity step out of the shadow of the law to make an
independent appearance. Most of the time, equity is seen as a natural attribute
of the law that does not require much attention. But equity has a far more active
life than would appear at first sight.
Equity is hidden and yet ubiquitous. It influences legislators as well as ad-
judicators. Both are driven by considerations of equity. The legislator strives
to make laws that are equitable in the sense of distributive justice. The adju-
dicator attempts to make decisions that are not merely correct but also just. It
is no coincidence that the Latin aequitas stands not just for equity but also for
equanimity. Our conscience demands equity. Fairness is essential for our peace
of mind.
Sometimes equity is in a state of tension with the strictures of the law. Roman
law developed a separate body of law the ius honorarium or ius praetorium to
soften the rigidity of the ius civile. Over time, the two bodies of rules merged,
and their separate existence disappeared. Similarly, in English law, the Court of
Chancery supplemented and softened the inflexible common law and statute
law through the development of equity. In both these systems, equity was ul-
timately absorbed into the mainstream of the law.
International law is a relatively young discipline and its relationship to eq-
uity appears still unsettled. Concepts like equity contra legem and the excep-
tional power of tribunals to decide ex aequo et bono appear to juxtapose law
and equity suggesting their separate existence.
International courts and tribunals have been bashful and cautious about
relying on equity. They do refer to equitable considerations, but only sparingly.
Authorisations to decide ex aequo et bono are seldom given and even where
they exist, tribunals are reluctant to make full use of them.
A closer look, however, reveals that equity plays a central role in inter-
national law. In some areas of international law, equity has traditionally been
dominant. Equitable considerations have for some time governed the calcu-
lation of damages, although there is a clear trend towards specific rules. The
requirement to state detailed reasons reinforces this trend. Maritime delimita-
tion depends in large measure on equity, although the jurisprudence of the ICJ
viii Foreword
Christoph Schreuer
Acknowledgements
Many people have supported me in this book project. I would like to thank
especially Charalampos Apostolidis, Freya Baetens, Joanne Gabrynowicz,
Anastasios Gourgourinis, Ted Gleason, Clifford Hendel, August Reinisch,
Calliope Sudborough, Christian Tams, Tullio Rodolfo Treves, and Frans von
der Dunk for taking the time to consider, review, and discuss different parts
of the book. I am particularly indebted to Christoph Schreuer for his generous
support and counsel and to Attila Tanzi for encouraging me to turn to the
sources of international law, for his support, advice, and thoughtful comments
throughout this project. From Oxford University Press, I am grateful to Emma
Collison, Elissa Connor, Libby Holcroft, and Arokia Anthuvan Rani and, in
particular, to my wonderful editors, Merel Alstein and Jack McNichol.
Contents
Abbreviations xvii
1. Introduction 1
I. Equity in International Law 1
A. The Concept of Equity 1
B. Equity, Law, and Justice 3
II. Scope of the Book 6
A. Overall Purpose 6
B. Coverage of International Courts and Tribunals 8
III. Outline of the Book 11
PA RT I P R E L I M I NA RY M AT T E R S
2. Origins of Equity 17
I. Introduction 17
II. Greek and Roman Law Origins: From Aristotle to Cicero 18
III. From the Middle Ages to the Late Modern Period 23
IV. Equity in English Law 24
V. Later Development 27
VI. Conclusions 28
3. Equity before International Courts and Tribunals 29
I. Introduction 29
II. Mixed Claims Commissions and Early Arbitration Tribunals 30
III. The Permanent Court of International Justice 37
IV. The International Court of Justice 38
A. Maritime Delimitation and Allocation of Maritime Resources 39
B. The Barcelona Traction Case: A Missed Opportunity? 50
V. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea 58
VI. Interstate Arbitration 59
A. The Rann of Kutch Case 60
B. The Anglo-French Continental Shelf Case 61
C. Later Cases 63
VII. Conclusions 65
xiv Contents
PA RT I I E QU I T Y I N G E N E R A L
4. The Purpose of Equity 69
I. Introduction: ‘The way is equity, the end is justice’ 69
II. Equity as Corrective Justice 70
A. Equity as Individualised Justice 71
B. Softening Law’s Rigidity 74
III. Equity as Distributive Justice 76
A. Allocation of Resources, Distribution of Benefits and Burdens 77
B. The Common Heritage of Mankind 79
C. Intergenerational Equity 80
D. Equitable Representation 81
IV. Equity as Supplementary Justice 82
V. Conclusions 83
5. Traditional Typology of Equity 84
I. Introduction 84
II. Three Kinds of Equity 85
A. Equity infra legem 85
B. Equity praeter legem 87
C. Equity contra legem 91
III. The Limitations of the Traditional Typology 92
IV. Antigone’s Law 99
V. Revisiting Equity contra legem 101
VI. Conclusions 103
6. Power to Resort to Equity 104
I. Introduction 104
II. Equity and Law 105
III. A Principle and a Rule 108
IV. Equity as a Source of Law 113
A. Treaty Law 114
B. Customary International Law 122
C. General Principles of Law 128
D. Customary International Law Revisited: General Principles of
International Law 132
V. Conclusions 135
PA RT I I I SP E C I F IC A SP E C T S O F E QU I T Y
7. Jurisdiction ex aequo et bono 139
I. Introduction 139
II. International Courts 142
III. Interstate Arbitration 145
Contents xv
Index 203
Abbreviations
Few legal concepts have sustained heated controversy and impassioned de-
bate over such protracted periods of time. But equity has spanned the ages
both serving as a torchlight in the quest for justice and breeding disagree-
ment. Expression of the maxim summum ius, summa iniuria,1 protean and
chameleon-like, equity takes different shapes in the eye of the beholder.
Agreement about its semantic content is obtained only at a high level of ab-
straction and defining it can prove an insuperable challenge. Almost nowhere
is equity used with the exact same meaning. Equity is that which is ‘fair and
reasonable in the administration of justice’;2 it is the instillation of reasonable-
ness and good faith in legal relations;3 an attribute of a developed legal system;4
an ‘agent of legal change’;5 and ‘an element in the progressive development of
international law’.6 A ‘direct emanation of the idea of justice’,7 equity requires
a balancing of competing interests;8 it encompasses a body of legal principles
‘designed to critique the law’ and to encourage fairness in international rela-
tions.9 It is what is ‘fair and just’, ‘an element of law’ that ushers ‘ethical values
into the legal norms’.10 It is ‘justice normatively expressed as law’.11 Equity also
tems tends to be accompanied by a change in emphasis from jus strictum to jus aequum’).
5 Henry Sumner Maine, Ancient Law (16th edn, John Murray 1897) 44.
6 Francioni, ‘Equity’ (n 2) para 29.
7 Continental Shelf (Tunisia/Libya) (Judgment) [1982] ICJ Rep 18 [71]. See also Continental Shelf
(Libya/Malta) (Judgment) [1985] ICJ Rep 13 [45]; Norwegian Shipowners’ claims (Norway v United
States) (1922) 1 RIAA 307, 331.
8 Hugh Thirlway, The International Court of Justice (OUP 2016) 28.
9 Thomas Franck, ‘Fairness in the International Legal and Institutional System’ (1993) 240 Recueil
The Function of Equity in International Law. Catharine Titi, Oxford University Press. © Aikaterini Titi 2021.
DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198868002.003.0001
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