Judiciary question bank

International Law MCQs for Judiciary, Page 6

Judiciary International Law questions 118-141 of 235, with answer keys and explanations covering sources, treaties, State responsibility, recognition, jurisdiction, law of the sea, the United Nations, use of force, and human rights.

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Practice judiciary exam MCQs with answers and explanations across substantive law, procedure, evidence, constitutional law, and state judicial service subjects.

  • Air and Space Law4
  • Asylum and Extradition1
  • Diplomatic and Consular Law1
  • Diplomatic Protection2
  • Dispute Settlement3
  • Environmental Law2
  • Extradition and Asylum4
  • Human Rights9
  • Human Rights and Refugee Law3
  • Immunities12
  • International Court of Justice10
  • International Criminal Law14
  • International Economic Law5
  • International Environmental Law5
  • International Humanitarian Law9
  • International Investment Law3
  • International Law and Municipal Law2
  • International Organisations4
  • International Watercourses1
  • Jurisdiction14
  • Law of the Sea22
  • Nationality4
  • Recent Developments5
  • Recognition1
  • Recognition and Non-Recognition1
  • Refugee Law2
  • Self-Determination1
  • Sources of International Law14
  • State Recognition2
  • State Responsibility15
  • State Succession5
  • Statehood and Recognition8
  • Subjects of International Law1
  • Treatment of Aliens1
  • Treaty Law24
  • United Nations10
  • Use of Force11
Question 118EasyDiplomatic and Consular Law

A receiving state may declare a diplomat persona non grata. The practical effect is that:

  1. A

    The diplomat automatically loses nationality

  2. B

    The sending state should recall the diplomat or terminate his functions

  3. C

    The diplomat must be tried locally for all prior acts

  4. D

    The mission automatically closes

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. The sending state should recall the diplomat or terminate his functions

Persona non grata is a strong diplomatic remedy. The sending state is expected to recall the diplomat or otherwise terminate his diplomatic functions in the receiving state.

Source note: Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations

Question 119HardTreaty Law

A reservation that defeats the object and purpose of a treaty is generally:

  1. A

    Always valid if made by a powerful state

  2. B

    Invalid in principle

  3. C

    Automatically converted into an interpretative declaration

  4. D

    Binding unless protested by every state party

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Invalid in principle

The object and purpose test is central to reservation law. A reservation inconsistent with the object and purpose of the treaty is not accepted as a valid reservation.

Source note: VCLT reservation doctrine

Question 120MediumTreaty Law

If a treaty conflicts with a peremptory norm of international law, the treaty is:

  1. A

    Void

  2. B

    Only voidable at the request of one party

  3. C

    Suspended for five years

  4. D

    Binding until terminated by the UN General Assembly

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Void

A treaty conflicting with jus cogens is void because international law does not permit states to contract out of peremptory norms.

Source note: VCLT and jus cogens doctrine

Question 121MediumUnited Nations

Measures under Chapter VII of the UN Charter are significant because they may be:

  1. A

    Purely recommendatory in all cases

  2. B

    Binding on member states depending on the decision adopted

  3. C

    Limited to cultural affairs

  4. D

    Applicable only to non-member states

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Binding on member states depending on the decision adopted

Chapter VII decisions may carry binding force because the Security Council acts in relation to threats to peace, breaches of the peace, and acts of aggression.

Source note: UN Charter Chapter VII

Question 122HardInternational Court of Justice

The modern position after ICJ jurisprudence is that provisional measures indicated by the Court are:

  1. A

    Merely symbolic and never legal

  2. B

    Regarded as legally binding

  3. C

    Binding only if both parties later ratify them

  4. D

    Relevant only in advisory opinions

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Regarded as legally binding

The ICJ has treated provisional measures as creating binding legal obligations. Their purpose is to preserve rights and prevent irreparable prejudice pending final decision.

Source note: ICJ jurisprudence on provisional measures

Question 123EasyUse of Force

Even where self-defence is available, the defensive response must still satisfy:

  1. A

    Public popularity and economic gain

  2. B

    Necessity and proportionality

  3. C

    A prior judgment of the ICJ

  4. D

    Approval of private corporations

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Necessity and proportionality

Self-defence is not unlimited. The response must be necessary to repel or address the armed attack and proportionate to the threat faced.

Source note: UN Charter Article 51 doctrine

Question 124HardUse of Force

Intervention by invitation is most defensible in law when invitation comes from:

  1. A

    Any insurgent faction claiming legitimacy

  2. B

    A government exercising effective authority and capable of issuing the invitation

  3. C

    A foreign business entity

  4. D

    A private militia funded abroad

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. A government exercising effective authority and capable of issuing the invitation

The legality of intervention by invitation depends heavily on who issued the invitation. International law is far more receptive where the invitation comes from the recognised or effectively governing authority.

Source note: State practice on intervention by invitation

Question 125HardState Responsibility

Conduct of a state organ is attributable to the state in international law even if the organ:

  1. A

    Acts ultra vires or exceeds authority

  2. B

    Acts only at night

  3. C

    Receives a low salary

  4. D

    Belongs to a local district

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Acts ultra vires or exceeds authority

Attribution focuses on the status of the actor and the governmental character of the conduct. Excess of authority does not by itself break attribution if the organ acted in an official capacity.

Source note: ARSIWA attribution rules

Question 126MediumState Responsibility

A lawful countermeasure by an injured state must generally be taken for the purpose of:

  1. A

    Punishing the population of the responsible state

  2. B

    Inducing compliance with international obligations

  3. C

    Annexing territory

  4. D

    Avoiding all diplomatic contact forever

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Inducing compliance with international obligations

Countermeasures are not pure punishment. They are temporary coercive responses designed to induce the responsible state to comply with its obligations.

Source note: ARSIWA countermeasures doctrine

Question 127MediumHuman Rights

Which statement is most accurate about UN human rights treaty bodies?

  1. A

    They are domestic courts of last resort

  2. B

    They supervise implementation of treaty obligations in specialised treaty frameworks

  3. C

    They can rewrite the UN Charter unilaterally

  4. D

    They exist only for trade law

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. They supervise implementation of treaty obligations in specialised treaty frameworks

Human rights treaty bodies monitor compliance with particular conventions through reporting, communications procedures where applicable, and interpretive work.

Source note: UN treaty body system

Question 128EasyHuman Rights

The principle of non refoulement is strongest as a restraint against sending a person to a place where he faces:

  1. A

    Minor administrative inconvenience

  2. B

    Persecution or serious prohibited harm

  3. C

    Different tax policy

  4. D

    Ordinary market competition

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Persecution or serious prohibited harm

Non refoulement protects against return to places where the person faces persecution, torture, or comparable grave danger depending on the applicable legal regime.

Source note: Refugee and human rights law

Question 129HardInternational Humanitarian Law

The proportionality rule in armed conflict prohibits attacks expected to cause incidental civilian harm that would be:

  1. A

    Any civilian harm at all

  2. B

    Excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated

  3. C

    Below all media attention

  4. D

    Unrecorded in writing

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated

IHL does not ban all civilian incidental harm. It prohibits attacks where the expected civilian harm would be excessive compared with the anticipated concrete and direct military advantage.

Source note: Customary IHL proportionality rule

Question 130MediumInternational Humanitarian Law

Territory is generally regarded as occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of:

  1. A

    A private contractor

  2. B

    A hostile army

  3. C

    An international bank

  4. D

    A neutral cultural mission

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. A hostile army

Occupation law turns on effective control by hostile armed forces over territory. Formal annexation is not the controlling test.

Source note: Hague and Geneva occupation law

Question 131MediumInternational Criminal Law

The complementarity principle under the Rome Statute means the ICC acts primarily when:

  1. A

    Domestic systems are unwilling or unable genuinely to investigate or prosecute

  2. B

    Any private complainant prefers The Hague

  3. C

    A state loses one criminal trial

  4. D

    The accused is a foreign national

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Domestic systems are unwilling or unable genuinely to investigate or prosecute

The ICC is not intended to replace national courts. It acts where domestic jurisdictions are unwilling or unable genuinely to carry out the necessary proceedings.

Source note: Rome Statute complementarity principle

Question 132HardInternational Criminal Law

Command responsibility is most accurately linked with liability where a superior had effective control and:

  1. A

    Failed to prevent or punish crimes of subordinates in the required circumstances

  2. B

    Personally signed every unlawful act

  3. C

    Was merely a symbolic head with no authority

  4. D

    Belonged to a civilian ministry only

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Failed to prevent or punish crimes of subordinates in the required circumstances

Command responsibility does not require direct physical commission. It focuses on effective control, knowledge standards, and failure to prevent or punish subordinate crimes.

Source note: International criminal law doctrine

Question 133HardLaw of the Sea

Rights over the continental shelf are often described as existing ipso facto and ab initio. This means they arise:

  1. A

    Only after a domestic statute is passed

  2. B

    By virtue of sovereignty and geography, not because of occupation or proclamation alone

  3. C

    Only after an ICJ judgment

  4. D

    Only after joining a fisheries treaty

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. By virtue of sovereignty and geography, not because of occupation or proclamation alone

Continental shelf rights do not depend on occupation in the ordinary sense. They are treated as arising by operation of international law from the coastal state's relationship to the shelf.

Source note: Continental shelf doctrine

Question 134HardLaw of the Sea

Transit passage through straits used for international navigation is generally broader than innocent passage because:

  1. A

    It allows continuous and expeditious transit and overflight subject to the Convention framework

  2. B

    It abolishes coastal state sovereignty

  3. C

    It applies only to fishing boats

  4. D

    It requires individual visas

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. It allows continuous and expeditious transit and overflight subject to the Convention framework

Transit passage is a specialised navigational regime for international straits. It is broader than innocent passage and includes overflight, while still remaining regulated by treaty rules.

Source note: UNCLOS straits regime

Question 135MediumLaw of the Sea

The Area and its resources are characterised in UNCLOS as the:

  1. A

    Common heritage of mankind

  2. B

    Private reserve of coastal states

  3. C

    Joint property of the Security Council

  4. D

    Exclusive domain of shipping companies

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Common heritage of mankind

The deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction is treated under UNCLOS as the common heritage of mankind, and activities there are subject to the Convention's special institutional regime.

Source note: UNCLOS seabed regime

Question 136MediumEnvironmental Law

The idea of common but differentiated responsibilities reflects the view that:

  1. A

    All states carry identical burdens regardless of history or capacity

  2. B

    Environmental obligations may be shared but differentiated in light of historical contribution and capacity

  3. C

    Only developing states owe climate duties

  4. D

    Only industrial states may negotiate treaties

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Environmental obligations may be shared but differentiated in light of historical contribution and capacity

This principle recognises common concern while also taking account of differing historical emissions, capabilities, and developmental circumstances.

Source note: International environmental law doctrine

Question 137MediumRecent Developments

The bbnj Agreement, which entered into force in 2026, is primarily concerned with:

  1. A

    Banking regulation between coastal states

  2. B

    Marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction

  3. C

    Only piracy suppression

  4. D

    Only polar aviation routes

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction

The BBNJ Agreement addresses the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, including marine genetic resources, area based management tools, environmental impact assessments, and capacity building.

Source note: UN BBNJ Agreement official materials

Question 138HardRecent Developments

The ICJ advisory opinion delivered in 2024 on Israeli policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is significant because it addressed:

  1. A

    Only private contract disputes

  2. B

    The legal consequences of prolonged occupation and related practices under international law

  3. C

    Only maritime delimitation in the Mediterranean

  4. D

    A dispute over consular premises

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. The legal consequences of prolonged occupation and related practices under international law

The advisory opinion is significant because it examined the legal consequences of prolonged occupation, settlement activity, and related state obligations under international law.

Source note: ICJ advisory opinion of 19 July 2024

Question 139HardRecent Developments

Recent ICJ proceedings concerning obligations of Israel in relation to the presence and activities of the UN and other international organisations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory highlight the continuing importance of:

  1. A

    Institutional privileges and obligations in occupied territory contexts

  2. B

    Private shipping law only

  3. C

    Exclusively domestic zoning law

  4. D

    Abolishing all advisory jurisdiction

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Institutional privileges and obligations in occupied territory contexts

These proceedings underline how international institutional presence, privileges, immunities, and humanitarian access questions can become central legal issues in occupied territory disputes.

Source note: ICJ 2025 advisory proceedings official materials

Question 140MediumRecent Developments

Recent ICC developments concerning Rodrigo Duterte are doctrinally important mainly because they revisit questions of:

  1. A

    Complementarity, temporal jurisdiction, and state cooperation

  2. B

    Only fisheries licensing

  3. C

    Diplomatic rank in the UN

  4. D

    Territorial sea baselines

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Complementarity, temporal jurisdiction, and state cooperation

The Philippines developments highlight recurring ICC issues such as cooperation, admissibility context, complementarity, and the relationship between domestic processes and international criminal accountability.

Source note: ICC official materials 2025

Question 141MediumRecent Developments

A recurring lesson from recent ICC practice is that arrest warrants remain legally important even when difficult to enforce because they:

  1. A

    Operate only as academic essays

  2. B

    Frame continuing duties of cooperation and preserve accountability processes

  3. C

    Automatically convict the accused

  4. D

    Replace all domestic criminal procedure

View answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Frame continuing duties of cooperation and preserve accountability processes

ICC warrants do not themselves complete the case, but they preserve legal proceedings, shape cooperation obligations, and can eventually lead to surrender or arrest through changing political conditions.

Source note: ICC official practice

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