Public vs Private International Law

Public international law refers to the law that governs the relations between states, while private international law pertains to the law that governs relations between individuals or entities from different countries.

According to the PCIJ, any contract that is not a contract between states acting as subjects of international law is considered as municipal (domestic) law.

Private international law applies to legal disputes involving individuals or entities from different countries, where domestic law is bound by multilateral treaties.