Editing English law (section)

====International law and commerce====
Britain is a [[Dualism (law)|dualist]] in its relationship with international law, so international treaties must be formally ratified by Parliament and incorporated into statute before such [[supranationalism|supranational]] laws become binding in the UK.{{efn|Mere agreement to the final text of a treaty is only the first stage, hence "dualist". For instance, Britain has yet to ratify the terms of the [[Arrest Convention 1999]], so the earlier 1952 treaty is still in place.}}{{efn|Ratification after agreement of a final text often takes decades. In the case of the [[Maritime Labour Convention]] of 2006, even though the [[European Union|EU]] instructed member states to adopt the MLC, this "fast-tracked" treaty still did not come into force until 2013.}}{{efn|For example, the [[European Convention on Human Rights|European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms]] was signed in 1950 and Britain allowed individuals to directly petition the [[European Commission on Human Rights]] from 1966. Now s6(1) [[Human Rights Act 1998]] (HRA) makes it unlawful "... for a public authority to act in a way which is incompatible with a convention right", where a "public authority" is any person or body which exercises a public function, expressly including the courts but expressly excluding Parliament.}}{{efn|Although the European Convention has begun to be applied to the acts of non-state agents, the Human Rights Act (HRA) does not make the convention specifically applicable between private parties. Courts have taken the convention into account in interpreting the common law. They also must take the convention into account in interpreting Acts of Parliament, but must ultimately follow the terms of the Act even if inconsistent with the convention (s3 HRA).}}

Britain has long been a major trading nation, exerting a strong influence on the law of [[maritime law|shipping]] and [[international trade law|maritime trade]].  The English law of [[Marine salvage|salvage]],<ref>[[International Convention on Salvage|1989 Salvage Convention]]</ref> [[collisions]],<ref>[[International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea|COLREGS]]</ref> ship arrest,<ref>[[1952 Arrest Convention]]</ref> and [[Law of Carriage of Goods by Sea|carriage of goods by sea]]<ref>The [[Hague-Visby Rules]]</ref> are subject to international conventions which Britain played a leading role in drafting. Many of  these conventions incorporate principles derived from English common law{{efn|Such as the rule on [[Deviation (law)|deviation]]}} and documentary procedures.{{efn|Such as the [[Lloyd's Open Form]]}}