The natural person in public international law: between traditional jurisprudence and contemporary developments

Abstract

This research paper aims, through the analytical methodology, to examine the position of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) regarding the enjoyment of international legal personality by the natural person. It also explores the position of international law concerning the natural person, the obligations of the natural person under the rules of international law, the submission of the natural person to international courts, and the relationship between the legal personality of the individual and that of his or her state.

It may be argued that the natural person constitutes the fundamental basis for the existence of international law; without the individual, there would be no international interactions governed by legal rules. Accordingly, the natural person should be granted the status and position he or she deserves, particularly in light of contemporary international developments.