What is the International Law Commission?

AT University College London there is an auto-icon, or the body of a dead person, which has been preserved and displayed as though he were still alive. The man, Jeremy Bentham, died more than 189 years ago. The figure was fashioned from his actual skeleton (the head is a wax model because a setback in the preservation process had rendered the original unsuitable for display) and dressed in the clothes he wore during his lifetime. He is sitting upright with a cane, and for years his severed head lay between his feet before it was taken away for preservation and stored separately.

Bentham, the 18th and 19th century English philosopher, jurist and social reformer, advocated the codification of international law. International law refers to the body of rules and principles of action which are binding upon civilized States in their relations with one another. Bentham believed that if international law were codified, it would contribute to the strengthening of relations between States and would serve as a vehicle for lasting peace. He also backed the need for an international court which would preside over disputes between States, thus settling arguments with judicial decisions instead of wars. It was Bentham who coined the term "international law."