Module overview
International law is about governments collaboratively as well as competitively trying to regulate world affairs. It includes issues as diverse as a government’s treatment of its citizens (international human rights law), the circumstances in which a state can take military action against or in another state, and ongoing efforts to prevent catastrophic changes in the earth’s climate.
This module builds on LAWS 2035 Introduction to Public International Law by introducing you to the jurisdictional framework (in both spatial and conceptual senses) of the international legal order, the secondary obligations that arise when a primary one is breached and the rules on the resort to force. We will explore how, by whom, and with what results law has been used to shape or attempt to shape the world in which we live by constraining the conduct of states and other international actors.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- fundamental principles of the law of state responsibility;
- the bases of states’ jurisdiction over places, events and persons and the immunities from it;
- the rules on acquisition of territory;
- the basic elements of the law of the sea;
- the rules governing the use of force.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- distinguish relevant from irrelevant materials;
- locate and analyse relevant primary and secondary source materials;
- identify and analyse key issues of international legal policy;
- present arguments in terms of international legal concepts, couched in appropriate terminology;
- think critically, develop, communicate and defend coherent arguments orally and in writing.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- demonstrate independence of mind in the presentation and defence of an argument, both orally and in writing.
- express and assess the limitations of international law in a state-centered system and the challenges posed by political considerations to the rule of law in international affairs;
- construct arguments clearly and coherently in writing and orally through tutorial discussion;
Syllabus
The syllabus in any particular academic year will be drawn from the following list, not necessarily in the order in which they appear here:
•title to territory;
•law of the sea;
•jurisdiction and immunities from it;
•state responsibility;
•legal regulation of the use of force;
•international environmental law;
•international human rights law.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
The module will be taught by a two-hour seminar each week.
Seminars will develop:
•The key applicable principles and rules of law in the field of public international law;
•The key areas of controversy and doubt concerning those principles and rules;
•Prospects for future developments in the field.
Preparation for and participation in seminars will develop your:
•Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and rules covered in the seminars.
•Ability to manage and access a diverse range of primary and secondary sources of public international law.
•Ability to critically evaluate those sources and to participate constructively in oral discussions concerning them.
•Ability to assess competing theoretical explanations for current international law and to comment critically on international legal issues / debates.
•Time management and research skills.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Completion of assessment task | 2 |
| Private study hours | 24 |
| Revision | 24 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 80 |
| Seminar | 20 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
M. Evans (ed) (2018). Blackstone’s International Law Documents. Oxford: OUP.
D. Harris & S. Sivakumaran (2020). Cases and Materials on International Law. London: Sweet & Maxwell.
Assessment
Assessment strategy
A single piece of coursework (an essay or problem), 4000 wordsFormative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Essay or problem question
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback:
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay or problem question | 100% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay or problem question | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay or problem question | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External