Forum Shopping in International Disputes

In a dispute, governments weigh up their options when selecting between various dispute settlement mechanisms. By scrutinising the interaction of institutional design with state interests, Forum Shopping in International Disputes analyses why particular forums are selected in maritime boundary disputes. The act of forum shopping, it argues, is more than the identification of the forum most likely to award a favourable decision. Rather, other interests come into play, such as concerns about domestic standing and the wish to draw international attention to a case. In other words, the best forum in any given dispute is the one that conforms most closely to a government's overarching policy. This book is especially notable for its use of qualitative case studies, a much-needed contribution to the growing body of research on forum selection, and for its detailed actor-centred approach, which comparatively assesses the merits of available forums. Focusing on the UN system, it provides an account of why states sometimes call on the Security Council and at other times prefer the International Court of Justice.

Aletta Mondre has worked at the 'Transformations of the State' Research Centre, was involved with the 'Changing Norms of Global Governance' Research Group, and is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. She won the UNA-Germany Award for best PhD thesis, and has published research on the judicialization of international affairs.