Clarifying the clean hands doctrine under general international law

The article aims to assess the availability of judicial defences based on the clean hands doctrine in international litigation. Whether the doctrine forms part of general international law is still a controversial question. Indeed, although frequently invoked before international tribunals, the clean hands doctrine gives rise to several theoretical and practical questions concerning its content, legal basis, and practical effects on international disputes. To shed light on this issue, the article provides a scrutiny of international practice, evaluating whether and to what extent the doctrine might bar access to systems of international dispute settlement or determine the rejection of legal claims.