One Hundred Years of Faith: The Baltic States’ Contribution to International Justice

Abstract

One hundred years on from the establishment of the first World Court provides an excellent occasion to assess the evolution of International Justice and its role in setting new standards of inter-State behaviour. Faith in the rule of law and international justice in the institutionalised world order by Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia was based on the public mood in the aftermath of the First World War, as well as distinctly practical security interests. Early acceptance of the Court’s jurisdiction in turn contributed to the formation of international law with three cases and interpretation by the Court of numerous rules of international law.