Book Launch -- The Politics of International Norms: A Rhetorical Approach Anette Stimmer, St Andrews University - Institute of Legal and Constitutional Research (ILCR) and co-sponsored by CGLG

We are delighted to invite you to the launch of Anette Stimmer (St Andrews)'s book, The Politics of International Norms: A Rhetorical Approach (Cambridge University Press, 2025), jointly hosted by the ILCR and CGLG.
Date: Thursday, 17 April
Time: 11.15am
Location: Old Class Library (Mediaeval History Building)
The main discussant of the book will be the ILCR Co-Director, John Hudson.

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About the Book
Norm contestation is prevalent in international affairs: Legal ambiguities and tensions generate debate, even when well-established international norms are applied to concrete situations. This book discusses a wide range of norm disputes and develops a rhetorical approach to the politics of international norms. Anette Stimmer demonstrates how actors can agree or disagree on the norm frame (norm-based justification) and/or behavioral claim (implementing action) when applying international law. Thus, norm contestation can have four “alternate endings”: norm impasse, norm neglect, norm recognition, and norm clarification. These alternate endings affect the clarity and strength of the contested norms, as well as subsequent debate, differently. Furthermore, Stimmer explains how three classical elements of rhetoric–speakers (including delegation to agents), argumentation, and audience reactions– influence the duration and outcome of contestation. This rhetorical approach is applied to eight norm disputes, ranging from military interventions to contestation over the human rights of terror suspects.