The teachings of qualified publicists—recognized scholars and experts in international law—are treated as subsidiary means for determining rules of international law.

They are not binding sources, but they help clarify, explain, and systematize treaties, customary international law, and general principles, especially when the law is uncertain, developing, or unsettled.

In the Philippine setting, the Supreme Court rarely cites publicists explicitly, but international law scholarship still shapes judicial reasoning, particularly in complex or novel cases. These writings function as persuasive authority, guiding courts when there is no controlling treaty, clear custom, or direct precedent.

⚡⚡
Medium yield in Public International Law. Often tested in questions on sources of international law (Article 38 of the ICJ Statute), with the trap being to overstate their authority—publicists inform the law; they do not create it.