Public International Law Exam Questions Sample

QUESTION 1
Dangala and Trunda are two island States situated in the South Seas. Both attained independence in 1995. Dangala
was a former colony of United Kingdom while Trundawas formerly a French protectorate.About 40 nautical
miles away from these two island States is the tiny island of Gora,which is reputedly rich in fishery resources. The
island was formerly discovered by theFrench authorities in 1860, but in 1930 the United Kingdom Government
established alight-house on the island and since then the light house had been maintained by the British authorities.
After independence, the Dangalan Government has inserted the islandin the Government Gazette and declared it
as a bird sanctuary.Both Dangala and Trunda now claim sovereignty over Gora and the dispute has been
submitted before the International Court of Justice. You are appointed by the Prime Minister of Dangala as the
legal counsel to represent the State before the World Court.What would be your legal advice?(15 marks)

QUESTION 2
(a) Two nationals of State L meet in State A and decide to plant an explosive device one commercial aircraft
belonging to an airline registered in State B. The device is planted in State C, explodes over State D, killing all
those on board, the majority of whom are nationals of State Which States have claims to jurisdiction and according
to what principles under international law?(9 marks)(b) During a civil war in the sovereign State of Xania,
Laurens, an officer in the armed forces of the revolutionary group seeking to overthrow the constitutionally
established government of the State, killed a number of prisoners of war. The persons who were killed by Laurens
were captured members of the security forcesof the Xania government.Some years after the murders described in
the previous paragraph, Laurensemigrated to Zanjia , a neighboring State, and became a Zanjian national.Laurens
past has now come to the attention of the Zanjian government.Would Zanjia be acting in conformity with public
international law if it asserted criminal jurisdiction over Laurens in respect of the murders committed by him
inXania?(6 marks)

QUESTION 3
X, a foreign affairs writer, was invited to attend an official dinner at the premises of the embassy of State A in the
capital city of State B. At the dinner X was physically assaulted by Y, who is the Head of State As diplomatic
mission accredited to State B. The assaults caused X serious personal injury. X has commenced proceedings in the
Supreme Court of State B in tort against Y and State A to recover damages for the personal injury. Give a legal
opinion as to the jurisdiction of the court over the respective defendants. What would your opinion be, if Y was an
unmarried 18 year old son of the Head of the diplomatic mission of State A, accredited to State B, and was a
student at a local university of State B but who used to live, during weekends, with his parents at the diplomatic
residence