International Law is a convenient label for two discrete areas of practice.

Firstly, there is public international law, or the law of nations. Since Scotland has no separate legal personality it might be thought unlikely that there will be much call for expertise in this area.

However, there is a growing number of international courts and tribunals where individuals, corporations and non-governmental organisations are given the right to be represented. And should Scotland become independent, then a new set of public international law issues will come into focus, including Scotland's maritime claim to natural resources such as oil and gas.

Secondly, there is private international law, a quite distinct body of law governing disputes between individuals with a foreign element. These disputes raise questions such as: do the Scottish courts have jurisdiction to hear an action of damages against a foreign company; where is a company domiciled; and how can a foreign court's order be enforced in Scotland. The more that people, money, goods and services move around the world, the more disputes will contain a foreign element and that the rules of private international law will be brought into play.

Members of Axiom have extensive experience in both of these areas of practice. They are also frequently instructed in relation to disputes of an international nature both in Scotland and further afield.