This book reconsiders the long accepted state based approach to jurisdiction in international law.

It argues that states are not the only subjects that can exercise jurisdiction. Drawing on the experiences of territorial non state entities (TNSEs), such as Taiwan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Somaliland, Abkhazia, and Western Sahara, it illustrates how these entities do in fact exercise jurisdiction. The book makes the case for a thorough reassessment, one that would decouple jurisdiction from theories of statehood and sovereignty.

Innovative and thought provoking, this book offers a fresh approach to our understanding of international law.