Oxford Public International Law (OPIL) is a comprehensive, single-location gateway for international law research providing integrated access across Oxford’s international law services.
OPIL provides easy access to the library’s subscription to the authoritative international law databases:

All databases are cross-searchable, fully searchable, and browsable by subject matter, title, and author, and fully integrated with the Oxford Law Citator to provide additional research options.

Oxford Scholarly Authorities on International Law

Oxford Scholarly Authorities on International Law (OSAIL) contains full-text online reference works and treatises published by Oxford University Press, such as Oppenheim, and the Oxford Commentaries on International Law.

Books in the following four categories have been selected for inclusion:

  • Authoritative treatises, which continue to define their area of law
  • Black-letter reference works and commentaries, which will help you to answer practical questions about the law
  • Classic works on international law, which remain influential in their field today
  • Flagship publications, which provide innovative perspectives on current legal problems.

A complete list of all of the titles organised by subject is available here.

Oxford Reports on International Law

The Oxford Reports on International Law database (ORIL) contains public international case law and brings together decisions on public international law from international courts and tribunals as well as domestic courts and ad hoc tribunals.

Case reports contain the full text of each decision, headnote, as well as analytical commentary, a list of cases and instruments cited and English translations of several key non-English decisions. These reports are text searchable and also browsed by subject.

The case law within ORIL is divided into seven modules:

  • Oxford Reports on International Law in EU Courts
  • Oxford Reports on International Trade Law Decisions
  • Oxford Reports on International Law in Domestic Courts
  • Oxford Reports on International Criminal Law
  • Oxford Reports on International Human Rights Law
  • Oxford Reports on International Investment Claims
  • Oxford Reports on International Courts of General Jurisdiction.

Max Planck Encyclopedias of International Law

Max Planck Encyclopedias of International Law (MPIL) is a comprehensive, analytical resource containing peer-reviewed articles on every aspect of international law. This reference work contains both the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law and the Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law.
These works contain peer-reviewed entries by legal experts on nearly every aspect of international law. They are updated monthly with new and revised articles.

Oxford International Organizations

Oxford International Organizations database (OXIO) is a database of peer-reviewed annotated documents of (and about) international organisations. It offers access to primary materials and analysis on the law of international organisations including, but not limited to, resolutions and decisions, draft normative texts, constituent instruments, relevant court decisions and occasionally, treaties that bind the organisations.
Each document in OXIO is accompanied by a concise expert commentary, including background information, a summary, and a note on the impact of the document on the working of the organisation in question.

Access

The databases can be consulted via our overview of available databases in the Online Library among other databases.
Direct link:

Questions?

For all questions regarding these databases and more information on our collections and services please contact us via Ask Your Librarian.