This thesis looks at the role of international law in Swedish security policy during the period from the end of the second world war until the present. It is assumed that norms can mitigate the negative effects that may occur as a consequence of the fact that the international system lacks an executive authority with power to enforce the law, and that adherence to norms can help a state achieve consistency in its foreign policy. A number of case studies are made to see if these assumptions are correct in regard to Swedish interpretations of the norms. Special attention is given the law of neutrality, Swedish membership of the United Nations, the right of self-defense and disarmament.