Module description
This module covers only the Semester 1 part of a full year module
Introduction
This module provides and overview of the various branches of public international law, ensuring that students obtain a solid grounding in the sources, structure and challenges of the international legal system. We will pay special attention to the role of international courts and tribunals and the impact that their work has on the development of international law. We will also look at the public international law from a range of perspectives: as a government legal adviser, as an international civil servant, as a judge, as an NGO worker, as a victim of an international law violation, and as an alleged criminal. A range of international law topics will be addressed, with an emphasis on contemporary challenges. Throughout the course, we will link theory with practice by applying legal principles to current events.
This is the 1st Semester only of a full year module.
In 2024-25 (so subject to change), this covered:
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Week
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Topic
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Semester 1
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week 1
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Introduction to Public International Law
[no tutorial this week]
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week 2
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Approaches to International Law
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week 3
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Sources of international law
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week 4
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The Law of Treaties
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week 5
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Jurisdiction
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Reading Week
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week 7
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Immunities
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week 8
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Statehood, Sovereignty and Recognition
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week 9
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State Responsibility I
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week 10
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State Responsibility II
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Assessment details
Coursework 100%
Educational aims & objectives
This course provides an introduction to public international law: how it is made, how it relates to national legal systems, how disputes arise and how they are settled. We will consider the shape and content of the international legal system and who has rights and responsibilities under it. There will be special attention paid to the role of international courts and tribunals and their impact on the development of international law. A range of international law topics will be addressed, with an emphasis on contemporary challenges.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course you should
- Understand the main features of the international legal system and the basic principles that govern public international law;
- Be familiar with the main techniques of research and analysis and the various approaches to international law;
- Be aware of and able to evaluate the main challenges in the development of public international law in a range of areas;
- Understand the various ways in which the international legal system interacts with national legal systems.
Teaching pattern
Lecture (1 x 2 hours per week), Tutorial (1 x 1 hour per week),
Suggested reading list
- M Evans (ed), International Law (5 th ed., 2018)
- Hernández, International Law (2019)
- Harris and S. Sivakumaran (eds) Cases and Materials on International Law (8th ed., 2015)
- Judgements of the International Court of Justice, various international tribunals, and national courts