Contribution of International Courts to the Development of International Law: A Structural Analysis

If one can define the International Law System as the legal regime governing the creation and evolution of applicable rules in International Community, the study of position and functioning of each individual factor in this system is derived from its position in the Community. Present paper tries to find the essential element in the definition of Community and its effect on the functions of international courts and tribunals to justify their position within the system and community. a Normative approach to Community puts the concept of Legal Authority at the heart of any argument; therefore, position and functioning of system’s factors is a derivative of our understanding of this Authority. Since the permanent mutual interdependence between a structure and functioning of its factors is guaranteed by the Circulation of Meaning in a Social Systems, contribution of international courts to international legal authority is subject to their contribution to generation and evolution of meaning on international rules.Therefore, there is a hierarchy among (quasi)judicial institution in international law that reflects the hierarchy of meaning in international community.