Guide last updated April 2025
This guide was created by Katherine Read, Principal Library Assistant at the IALS Library.
Email katherine.read@sas.ac.uk
We'd love to hear your comments about this Research Guide.
Email ials@sas.ac.uk
This guide aims to give a brief introduction to the Library's holdings on the Law of Treaties. Please consult Library Search for complete information on current titles and locations. If you require further assistance please contact us.
Monday-Friday 9:30-17:00
Tel (0)20 7862 5790
Email ials@sas.ac.uk
This Subject Guide only lists a selection of Library resources on the Law of Treaties. To find additional resources you will need to use Library Search, which covers the complete holdings of the Library. It is possible to search for books, journals and series of law reports by author, title or keyword. It is also possible to search for individual chapters and journal articles.
IALS Library is mainly open access and readers are able to browse the shelves in the main collection. There are two main exceptions to this:
Please request these at the Library Enquiry Desk.
For more information on understanding the catalogue record and further guidance on the location of materials please refer to our guide Classmarks and the Location of Resources in the Library.
The Library classifies textbooks either by jurisdiction (GO13, GA2 etc.) or according to subject area, examples of which include Comparative Law (SB), Public International Law (SG) and Private International Law/ Conflict of Laws (SH). Textbooks on Common Law topics for Common Law jurisdictions (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, USA) are shelved in a special section (SJ). All classmark sections have a FOL section for oversize volumes, which is located on the same floor of the Library.
When you are using Library Search for books, please note that only the current edition is held on the open shelves or in the Short Loan collection. IALS has a rich collection of previous editions held in the closed basement and these will display a Depository number on the catalogue. Please request previous editions from the Library Enquiry Desk.
Treaties and Law of Treaties material is shelved at SG35 and SG40.
The following list represents a selection of textbooks on the Law of Treaties. Please follow the links to Library Search for further information and location. Titles are available in both print and electronic formats, unless indicated otherwise on the list below.
Barrett, J. and others Handbook on good treaty practice CUP 2020 (online only)
Bowman, M. Conceptual and contextual perspectives on the modern law of treaties CUP 2018
Brownlie, I. Basic documents in International law 6th ed. 2009 (print only)
Buga, I. Modification of Treaties by Subsequent Practice OUP 2018
Corten, O & Klein, P. The Vienna Conventions on the Law of Treaties OUP 2011
Dougan, M. & Currie, S. 50 years of the European treaties: looking back and thinking forward 2009
Evans ed. International law 6th ed. 2024 (print only)
Evans ed. Blackstone’s International law documents 15th ed. 2021 (print only)
Fitzmaurice, M. and Merkouris, P. Treaties in motion: the evolution of treaties from formation to termination CUP 2020 (online only)
Foster, N. Blackstone’s EU treaties and legislation 35th ed. 2024 (print only)
Hill, J. Aust's modern treaty law and practice 4th ed. CUP 2023 (print only)
Hollis, D. Oxford guide to treaties 2nd ed. OUP 2020
Klabbers, J. Treaty conflict and the European Union CUP 2009
Kolb, R. Law of treaties 2nd ed. Elgar 2023 (online only)
Lang, M. and others The OECD multilateral instrument for tax treaties: analysis and effects IBFD 2018
Lang, M. and others Tax treaty entitlement IBFD 2019
Lange, F. Treaties in parliaments and courts: the two other voices Elgar 2024 (online only)
McNair, A.D. Law of treaties Clarendon 1961
Ramcharan, B. Fundamentals of international human rights treaty law 2011
Sellars, K. A 'Constitution for the Oceans': the long hard road to the UN Convention for the Law of the Seas CUP 2025 (online only)
Sinclair, I. Vienna Convention on the law of treaties 2nd ed. 1984 (print only)
Vandevelde, K. Bilateral investment treaties: history policy and interpretation 2010 (print only)
Xiouri, M. The breach of a treaty: state responses in international law CUP 2021
IALS Library holds a wide selection of current serial titles on the law of treaties from many different jurisdictions. These are located on all floors of the Library. Titles are available in both print and electronic formats, unless indicated otherwise on the list below. For more detailed help, please refer to the guide on Finding journal articles. The following titles focus particularly on the law of treaties but there may be relevant articles in less specialised journals.
British yearbook of international law
European journal of international law
International and comparative law quarterly
Max Planck yearbook of United Nations law
See also HeinOnline's World Treaty Library for further serials titles relating to treaties
If you are interested in legislation or cases concerning the law of treaties in relation to specific countries you will need to consult the legislation or law reports for that jurisdiction.
Consult Library Search to find the general classmark for the country you require. Consult consolidations of legislation, digests or indexes to trace particular acts or cases.
Academic users may also use databases like Lexis/Westlaw to find UK, US, EU or international decisions. For further information please refer to Law Databases or ask at the Library Enquiry Desk.
You may also find it useful to refer to our guides on finding Legislation and Cases or check to see if we have a Jurisdiction Research Guide for the country you are interested in.
Eagle-i is an internet portal maintained and updated by IALS library staff. It allows you to search for quality web resources on treaties.
The following represent a sample of the available quality individual web resources on treaties.
Globalex guide to researching the drafting history of international agreements (Travaux Préparatoires) by Jonathan Pratter. Updated in 2025
African Union Treaties in full text
Treaties section of Eur-Lex, includes founding, amending and accession treaties of the European Union and also some protocols
United Nations Treaty Collection
WIPO Lex provides a search facility for intellectual laws and treaties for a wide range of jurisdictions
Travaux Préparatoires: A selection of resources on different treaties provided by the Lilian Goldman Law Library (Yale University)