US Sanctions on the ICC Put International Criminal Justice to the Test — A Classic Textbook Revisits the Fundamentals
On 9 October 2026, the US State Department announced sweeping new sanctions against the International Criminal Court itself, not only against individual officials, banning transactions with the Court and freezing any of its assets held in US jurisdiction, with companies that provide services to it also at risk. The move follows nearly two years of mounting pressure since the ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza; dozens of ICC judges and prosecutors, and even a UN Special Rapporteur, had already been sanctioned earlier this year. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the move "a serious blow to international criminal justice," while the Court itself described it as an assault on the rule of law. Whatever position one takes, the episode raises exactly the doctrinal questions a foundational international law course needs to answer: can a treaty-based court bind the nationals of states that never joined it? What recourse does international law offer when a powerful non-member state works to obstruct it? And how resilient are international institutions when a major power turns against them?
These are precisely the questions Akehurst's Modern Introduction to International Law, now in its tenth edition, is built to answer. Revised throughout by Professor Alexander Orakhelashvili of the University of Birmingham, this edition incorporates more than forty-five decisions handed down by international and domestic courts since the ninth edition, together with new treaties and major developments in state practice. Its chapters on international criminal justice, State jurisdiction and immunity from jurisdiction map directly onto the ICC sanctions dispute: the scope of treaty obligations for non-parties, the limits of a State's jurisdiction over international officials, and the mechanisms, or the lack of them, available to a treaty-based institution facing coercive measures from a major power.
In practice, the book serves three concrete uses. First, as a classroom text, its concise structure lets instructors assign a single chapter, on international criminal justice or State jurisdiction, alongside a live controversy like the ICC sanctions, without requiring students to work through a multi-volume treatise. Second, as a chambers reference, its cross-jurisdictional approach gives practitioners a fast, reliable way to check first principles, such as the Rome Statute's jurisdictional reach over non-party nationals, before diving into case-specific research. Third, as a comparative teaching tool, its treatment of immunity and jurisdiction supports courses that place the ICC episode alongside earlier confrontations between international courts and powerful States.
For law libraries, the tenth edition is close to an essential replacement purchase. Earlier editions date quickly once new court decisions and major controversies enter the literature, and this is the edition now being assigned by instructors. At CLNZ Books, we work with legal libraries, law schools and chambers worldwide to keep core international law collections current, with secure worldwide shipping and institutional invoicing built around how libraries actually order.
Q&A
Why do the US sanctions on the ICC matter for an introductory international law textbook?
Because the dispute tests fundamental doctrines, treaty jurisdiction over non-party nationals, State jurisdiction, and the resilience of international institutions, that any general international law course needs to cover, and this edition's updates reflect exactly this kind of development.
Does this edition address the legal questions raised by the ICC sanctions?
The tenth edition incorporates more than forty-five court decisions recorded since the ninth edition and dedicates full chapters to international criminal justice, State jurisdiction and immunity, giving readers the doctrinal grounding to follow disputes like this one as they unfold.
Is this book suitable for practitioners, not just students?
Yes. Its concise, well-organized structure makes it a dependable first reference for practitioners and policy officials who need to check first principles quickly.
How is this edition different from the ninth?
It is revised throughout by Professor Alexander Orakhelashvili and adds new treaties, court decisions and state practice recorded since the previous edition, while keeping the book's original positivist, cross-jurisdictional method.
Where can I buy Akehurst's Modern Introduction to International Law, 10th ed?
You can order it directly from CLNZ Books, with worldwide shipping and institutional invoicing available for libraries and law firms.