Public International Law · Paper 402
The Exam Priority Guide
Decoded from 13 Osmania University question papers, 2015 to 2025.
13
Papers analysed
5
Units covered
12.5 hrs
Covers the paper
1. Where the Marks Live
Every unit, ranked by its real share of the paper.
| Unit | Focus | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Unit III | Individuals, Diplomacy & Treaties | 27% |
| Unit II | Recognition, Succession & Territory | 20% |
| Unit IV | Sea, Air & Outer Space | 20% |
| Unit V | International Organisations | 18% |
| Unit I | Nature & Sources | 15% |
Unit III is the heaviest: diplomatic privileges and immunities appear somewhere in all 13 papers, and the diplomat-immunity problem is the most repeated Part C question (10/13). The Part B anchor is Municipal Law vs International Law: it has never been skipped two papers in a row.
2. Part A: Short Note Questions (6 marks)
Answer any 5 of 8 · ranked by frequency across 13 papers.
Sources of International Law
Article 38(1) ICJ Statute: treaties, custom, general principles, judicial decisions and juristic writings. Custom = state practice + opinio juris.
De facto Recognition
Provisional, revocable acknowledgment of effective control. De jure: full, permanent, retroactive. Withdrawal possible only for de facto.
State Succession
Universal and partial succession. Consequences for treaties, public debts, state property, UN membership. Vienna Convention 1978.
Freedom of High Seas
Article 87 UNCLOS: navigation, overflight, fishing, cables, artificial islands, research. No state sovereignty. Lotus principle.
UNISPACE
UN Conferences on peaceful uses of outer space: 1968, 1982, 1999, UNISPACE+50 (2018). Framework for space cooperation and COPUOS.
Treaties (formation / reservation)
VCLT 1969: negotiation, signature, ratification, entry into force. Reservations: compatibility test. Pacta sunt servanda (Art 26).
ICJ
15 judges, 9-year terms. Contentious jurisdiction (states only) + advisory opinions. Compulsory jurisdiction via optional clause Art 36(2).
UNESCO
Specialised agency, 1946. Education, science, culture mandate. World Heritage Convention. HQ Paris.
Pacta Sunt Servanda
Article 26 VCLT: every treaty in force binds the parties and must be performed in good faith. Foundation of treaty law.
IMF
Bretton Woods 1944. Exchange stability, balance of payments support, SDRs. Quota-based voting.
Jus Cogens
Article 53 VCLT: peremptory norms from which no derogation permitted. Genocide, slavery, torture prohibitions. Voids conflicting treaties.
League of Nations
1920, collective security experiment. Council, Assembly, unanimity rule. Failure lessons shaped the UN Charter.
WTO
1995, successor to GATT. Trade liberalisation, MFN, national treatment, dispute settlement body.
3. Part B: Essay Questions (15 marks)
Answer any 2 of 4 · the high-value essays.
Municipal Law vs International Law (theories)
Monism (Kelsen), dualism (Triepel, Anzilotti), specific adoption, transformation, delegation. Indian position: Art 51(c), Vishaka.
Law of the Sea / UNCLOS
Maritime zones: territorial sea (12nm), contiguous (24nm), EEZ (200nm), continental shelf, high seas. UNCLOS 1982 framework.
Sources of International Law (Art 38)
Hierarchy and interplay of treaty, custom, general principles. Soft law and unilateral acts as emerging sources.
State Succession: kinds and consequences
Effects on treaties (clean slate vs continuity), debts, property, nationality, membership of organisations.
ICJ: composition, jurisdiction, functions
Election by GA + SC, contentious vs advisory jurisdiction, provisional measures, enforcement via SC Art 94.
Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities
Vienna Convention 1961: personal inviolability, premises, archives, criminal immunity absolute, civil exceptions, persona non grata.
Modes of Acquiring Territory
Occupation, prescription, accretion, cession, conquest (now illegal). Effective control: Island of Palmas, Eastern Greenland.
Airspace / Chicago Convention
Complete and exclusive sovereignty over airspace. Chicago Convention 1944, five freedoms of air, ICAO.
UN: Charter, purposes, principal organs
Six organs. GA vs SC powers, veto, Uniting for Peace. Purposes and principles Arts 1-2.
Vienna Convention on Treaties (VCLT)
Formation, invalidity, termination: material breach, supervening impossibility, rebus sic stantibus.
4. Part C: Problem Questions (10 marks)
Answer any 2 of 4 · the most recycled problems.
Diplomat commits crime / claims immunity
VCDR Art 31: absolute criminal immunity in receiving state. Remedies: persona non grata, waiver by sending state, prosecution at home. Every paper since 2017 has one.
Extradition requested / political offence claimed
No extradition for political offences. Attentat clause: assassination excluded. Test: predominantly political character. Re Castioni, Re Meunier.
State succession: treaty obligations / UN membership
New state not automatically bound (clean slate) except boundary and territorial regimes. UN membership requires fresh admission.
Mob violence kills foreign national: state liability
State responsibility for failure of due diligence in protecting aliens. Standard of treatment, denial of justice, reparation.
Territory dispute: competing sovereignty claims
Effective occupation vs discovery. Critical date doctrine. Island of Palmas: continuous peaceful display of sovereignty wins.
Asylum: embassy / warship / diplomatic premises
No general right of diplomatic asylum (Asylum Case 1950). Warship asylum: flag state discretion. Territorial asylum: state sovereignty.
Ship or boat seized in territorial waters
Innocent passage (UNCLOS Arts 17-19). Coastal state jurisdiction limits. Hot pursuit conditions: Art 111.
Space object falls on state territory: liability
Liability Convention 1972: absolute liability for damage on earth surface. Cosmos 954 precedent. Claims through diplomatic channels.
5. Topics Due for Return
Long gaps since last appearance. These cycle back.
WTO (short note)
Longest gap in the dataset. Could surprise any paper.
Jus Cogens
Peremptory norms always in syllabus. Rotation overdue.
State Responsibility (full essay)
Part A regular, but no full Part B essay for a decade. Structural gap.
League of Nations
Cycles back every 3 to 4 years.
Recognition: kinds and consequences (essay)
Part A staple; full essay form very overdue.
Diplomatic Immunity (as essay, not problem)
Treaty topics dominated 2024-25. Examiner alternates back.
6. The Study Plan: 12.5 Hours
Ten topic blocks covering ~80 marks of likely questions.
| Priority | Topic | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diplomatic Immunity (short note + essay + problem) | 2 hrs |
| 2 | Sources of IL + Municipal vs IL theories | 1.5 hrs |
| 3 | State Succession + treaty succession problem | 1.5 hrs |
| 4 | Extradition + political offence problem | 1.5 hrs |
| 5 | Law of the Sea (UNCLOS zones) | 1 hr |
| 6 | Recognition (theories, kinds, consequences) | 1 hr |
| 7 | ICJ + ICC + UN structure | 1 hr |
| 8 | Outer Space + UNISPACE | 1 hr |
| 9 | Territory: modes of acquisition | 1 hr |
| 10 | Airspace / Chicago Convention | 0.5 hrs |
7. Model Answers
Complete answers for Part A, B, and C. Free to download.
8. Predicted Paper 2026
Read this first. This is a pattern-based prediction built from 13 years of past papers. It is not a leaked paper and not a guarantee. Frequency is not certainty. Use it to prioritise revision, never as a substitute for full preparation.
FACULTY OF LAWLL.B. (3-YDC) IV-Semester Examination, 2026
Public International Law
Max. Marks: 80 · Time: 3 Hours
Public International Law
Max. Marks: 80 · Time: 3 Hours
PART A — Answer any FIVE (5 x 6 = 30)
- Jus Cogens
- Codification of International Law
- De facto Recognition
- State Responsibility / International Delinquencies
- Extradition
- Freedom of High Seas
- Outer Space Treaty
- International Court of Justice
PART B — Answer any TWO (2 x 15 = 30)
- Explain the relationship between International Law and Municipal Law in the light of Monism, Dualism, and other relevant theories.
- When is a State responsible for International Delinquencies? Explain the standard of treatment owed to aliens under International Law.
- Explain the privileges and immunities of Diplomatic Envoys under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961.
- Explain the powers, functions and jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.
PART C — Answer any TWO (2 x 10 = 20)
- A diplomat of State X, while posted in State Y, is arrested on suspicion of committing financial fraud and money laundering. The diplomat claims immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961. State Y wants to prosecute the diplomat. Discuss whether the diplomat can be prosecuted under the host state's jurisdiction.
- State A and State B have an extradition treaty. A political leader of State A, accused of ordering ethnic violence, fled to State B. State B refuses to extradite him citing the political offence exception. Discuss the legal position.
- X, a foreign national residing in State K, is killed during a communal riot. The family of X approaches the government of their home State to take action against State K. Examine the liability of State K under International Law.
- State A (predecessor) and State B entered into a treaty granting State B fishing rights in the territorial waters of State A. State A subsequently dissolves and a new State C emerges. State B insists that State C honour the treaty. State C refuses, arguing it is not bound. Discuss the legal position under the law of State Succession.
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Built from 13 Osmania University papers (2015–2025) · lawstories.in
Frequency is a guide, not a guarantee. Verify case citations with your textbook.
Frequency is a guide, not a guarantee. Verify case citations with your textbook.