Research project The territorial state sovereignty and its limits : A study of the historical evolution
Dissertation project aimed at examining the relationship between the two legal principles (qui iure and sic utere) which are usually considered to define 1. territorial state sovereignty and 2. the limits to this sovereignty imposed by the international law of borders.
Two legal principles guide a state’s right to act within its territorial boundaries: qui iure, often said to confer absolute sovereignty to a state, and sic utere, imposing a duty of good neighbourliness on states, and consequently limiting their freedom to act. Are these principles mutually exclusive, or can they co-exist? In the thesis, we follow the historical development of these principles, from 449 B.C to 1914 A.D.