It does become a "source" of IL. Just like a masters level thesis can also become a "source" when published. When was IL bound by any law when all of it is just recommendation and suggestions. 1st make it binding then talk about persuasive attributes, you moron !

Looks like you don't have a habit of reading or keeping up with the current affairs. Because there have been numerous articles and reasearch papers on domestic laws like martial rape and abortion as well. Most of them written by legal experts working in UN, EU and even pvt IL specific firms. OP it's all about doing what you want.

Don't listen to these fools here. What I would suggest is prepare an outline of what you want to present. Especially with how it's relevant and falls within the ambit of IL. Then approach your professor.

The problem with most IL or HR professors is that they're not an expert on it and have just been given the subject because the university couldn't find a suitable expert. Moreover these are old geezers who are apprehensive about touching new topics since they will have to take the extra burden of being up-to-date with the topic and that is something their lazy bums will not want to do.

I've seen plenty of time where these professors would not touch anything related to digital areas, data, ai etc cause it's new for them as well. But it's your job to convince them that you know what you're doing. Ask for guidance in research not on topic. Simple as that.

You seem like a juvenile CLAT aspirant rather than a law student in their 3rd year. Marital rape is also considered a major issue or concern, are people supposed to write an international law project on that? What ridiculous argument! Why don't you try to read IL first? Of course people are going to ask you to do your research first, that's the very point of a student assignment! Such entitlement and laziness!

It is clear from your attitude why you find your faculty to be less than cooperative and accommodating. Innovative or trendy topics does not mean you don't understand the basics of a subject and try to forcefully fit whatever topic you have in mind within its scope. Comparative international law does not have anything to do with comparing domestic systems of multiple nations. If only you read some real academic literature after 'googling it', then you would have known about it. It is clear that you do not seek any real help, but are just here to troll. As for you deciding what should be elective or core, you lack any qualification whatsoever about the same; fortunately people more qualified and wiser than you are still getting to decide that.

I just like the topic. That's all. If you have to work on something that should be an elective in the first place, at least it should be something that's interesting. State surveillance is definitely a major issue, so is privacy rights. If you know so much about IL and it's fundamentals then suggest me some topics. But I know you won't... you'll say just two things..

one. do your own research. Or two. Suggest me some tried and tested old topics of IL that has been done by majority.

Shouldn't we do things that are innovative or current in trend then the same old jurisdiction and icc and icj and how unsc is failing us. Same crap over and over.

Also there's something called comparative international law. Google it. Byeeeeee

Clearly you do not have clarity about the fundamentals of IL, otherwise you would have understood on your own the difference between that and comparing the domestic legal systems of multiple countries on any topic. Your professor is right to point out that the latter cannot be the subject of an IL paper, and doesn't really "sux". What you can do instead is to approach it from the angle of international treaties or conventions about acceptable degrees of surveillance and data if any, how the signatories have sought to implement their obligations under such treaty, reservations placed by them if any and so on. Then it is theoretically possible to connect it with principles of IL. However, I am not sure about why you wish to force this topic into the IL framework. If you want to work/write on it, do that separately and get it published. Public International Law does not cover all the aspects of law and comparative jurisprudence, really.

So let's say if I want to do a topic on "state surveillance vs data privacy" in terms of IL and not consti law. How do I spin it ?? I really love this topic. I was thinking about comparing how different legal systems are or are not protecting privacy vis-a-vis surveillance. But how do I write it as an IL paper. My IL prof sux.