Barbarism

Accusations of barbarism can be used by nations to justify conquest and the use of armed force.

Barbarism can also be used to justify occupation of territory, because the land is regarded "as though" it is terra nullius. In this process, the invaded peoples' prior rights to govern themselves and to apply their own laws may simply be ignored.

The most influential scholars of International Law, during its formative, modern period, happened to be writing at a time when the major European States were expanding. Such States were building empires based on territories far away from Europe, and much of the land was inhabited by people whose life styles and traditions were very different from the ways of Europeans.

• Terra Nullius Defined
• International Law
• Colonisation
• Human Rights
• Takeovers
• Bases For Takeovers
• Justifications
• Barbarism
• Hierarchies Of Land Use
• Recent Changes To International Law
• Territorial Integrity
• The Common Law Of England
• Common Law Rules For New English Territories
• Settled & Conquered Colonies
• The Status Of The Australian Colonies
• Reception Of English Law
• Sovereignty & Ownership Distinguished
• Other Lands Settled By The British
• Terra Nullius & Australia
• Crown Land
• Gove Case
• The Gove Decision Questioned
• The Mabo Case
• The Mabo Decision
• Britain's Acquisition Of Sovereignty
• Pre-Existing Land Rights
• The Doctrine Of Tenures Reconsidered
• Extinguishment Of Native Title
• Sovereignty & Indigenous Self-Government