Legal Definitions - foreign-relations law

Foreign-relations law, also known as international law, is the legal system that governs the relationships between nations. It includes not only nations but also international organizations and individuals who invoke their human rights or commit war crimes.

Customary international law is one of the principal sources of the international legal system. It derives from the practice of states and is accepted by them as legally binding.

Private international law, also known as international conflict of laws, deals with legal disputes that involve more than one country. It is a part of each legal system's private law and is often confused with public international law.

For example, if a person from one country gets into a car accident in another country, private international law would determine which country's laws apply to the case. This illustrates how private international law deals with disputes of a private nature, even if one of the parties involved is a foreign state.