Netherlands yearbook of international law. Volume 46, 2015. Jus cogens : Quo vadis?

__Jus cogens__ is a formidable yet elusive concept of international law. Since its incorporation in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties some 35 years ago, it has made tentative inroads into international legal practice. But its role in international law is arguably less prominent than might have been expected on the basis of its powerful potential and in view of wider developments in international law that call for constitutionalisation and hierarchy, including the processes of fragmentation and humanization. This volume of the __Netherlands Yearbook of International Law__ sets out to clarify the concepts and doctrines relevant to __jus cogens__ and to sharpen the debate on its theoretical foundations, functions and legal effects. To that purpose, the volume brings together contributions on the genesis and function of __jus cogens__, on the application of __jus cogens__ in specialised areas of international law and on its enforcement and legal consequences. Together, they reinforce the understanding of __jus cogens__ as a hierarchical concept of international law and shed light on its potential for further development. Front Matter....Pages i-xv Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Jus Cogens and the Humanization and Fragmentation of International Law....Pages 3-21 Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Jus Cogens ....Pages 23-50 Understanding the Jus Cogens Debate: The Pervasive Influence of Legal Positivism and Legal Idealism....Pages 51-84 Jus Cogens as a Social Construct Without Pedigree....Pages 85-114 Audience and Authority—The Merit of the Doctrine of Jus Cogens ....Pages 115-145 Genesis, Function and Identification of Jus Cogens Norms....Pages 147-172 Jus Cogens as the ‘Highest Law’? Peremptory Norms and Legal Hierarchies....Pages 173-210 In Quest of the Practical Value of Jus Cogens Norms....Pages 211-239 Constitutional Conversations in the Anthropocene: In Search of Environmental Jus Cogens Norms....Pages 241-271 Non-refoulement as Custom and Jus Cogens? Putting the Prohibition to the Test....Pages 273-327 Improving Compliance: Jus Cogens and International Economic Law....Pages 329-356 Jus Cogens in International Investment Law and Arbitration....Pages 357-388 Front Matter....Pages 389-390 Immunities of International Organizations Before Domestic Courts: Reflections on the Collective Labour Case Against the European Patent Organization....Pages 393-408 Judicial Review on the Island of Saint Martin: An Example for The Kingdom of the Netherlands?....Pages 409-420 Between Pretence and Practice: The Dutch Response to Recommendations of International Human Rights Bodies....Pages 421-438 Back Matter....Pages 439-471