The Infrastructure of International Law-Making: How Buildings Shape the Publicness of the Global Law-Making System

International law is a peculiar form of global ordering, one marked by the “imperative trying to turn capacity for crude coercion into legitimate authority.” 1 The international law-making system therefore discursively structured around an aspiration “publicness,” 2 commitment secure “some responsiveness claims and interests developed within relevant publics.” 3 As it evident any observer, this oftentimes not honored process frequently detached from ideas, interests, priorities those whose lives are ultimately governed law. 4 typical analysis detachment tends focus on role played enabling norms—specifically, norms governing representation, participation, deliberation in system. 5 In Essay, I argue, however, that actual publicness also shaped—sometimes combination with law, sometimes competition it—by infrastructure law-making. 6 For all grand statements about transparency public engagement, sincere attempts at inclusion ostentatious legal principles, my claim built environment—the chambers, fences, checkpoints, hallways—generally ensures, both materially symbolically, sites decision making, where created, distanced multiple contestation, various publics counterpublics make their voices heard. 7