Book discussion
The starting point for the discussion is a defining feature of international adjudication: through their decisions, courts and tribunals articulate legal entitlements, identify violations, and establish the consequences of breaches. In his recent book, Adjudicating over Anarchy: Judicial Remedies, Compliance, and Enforcement in International Law, Dr Geraldo Vidigal argues that the influence of international courts lies in their ability to give concrete expression to legal norms and guide state behaviour.
On 9 April 2026, we bring together leading voices in international law to discuss how international courts, through their remedial practice, contribute to ordering legal relations in an increasingly complex global landscape, drawing on the book’s core insights.
The event starts at 17.00 and will be followed by a cocktail reception.
Dr Pola Cebulak (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
Professor Pierre d’Argent (University of Louvain)
Dr Geraldo Vidigal (University of Amsterdam)
Moderator: Judge Georg Nolte (International Court of Justice)
Adjudicating over Anarchy is a deep dive into how international courts use their judicial powers. Covering dozens of courts and a century of practice, Vidigal illuminates the social mechanisms behind compliance with judicial rulings, analysing how international courts – by interpreting rules and declaring violations – influence behaviour without mobilising state enforcement. Learn more about this book.