Lawful and just are two separate things that may be irreconcilable. A good example that offers plenty of material to fathom this out was the annexation of Korea by Japan.
Both in Japan and Korea the legality and legitimacy of the annexation has been discussed repeatedly at great length. Predictably, the received answers on both sides of the Tsushima Strait do not concur. While Japan insists on the legality of its acts, Korea emphasizes the unjustness of the colonial project. Both have a point.
This shows that international law is an instrument not to create justice but rather to make interstate relations manageable. The similarity among nationalities that have difficulty benefiting from the application of international law at the beginning of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st century -- in Kurdistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Palestine, for example -- makes it hard to refute those who argue that international law is an instrument of domination designed to promote the survival of the fittest.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.