Module overview
The story of Public International Law is the story of historic and present-day efforts to address international issues of common concern - conflict within and between states, climate change, human rights abuses, international crimes, global trade, and control over and use of the world's oceans, for example.
In this module we will explore how international law works; how the world is - or, perhaps, is not - governed by international law. We will consider what international law is, its history and future, the purposes it serves, its interpretation and application, and its relationship with domestic (English) law.
By taking this module you will gain an appreciation of law's global context and an understanding of law's function and effectiveness in addressing international challenges and threats. This appreciation and understanding will be valuable in any future career given the increasingly international nature of life today and especially useful for those hoping to work in large global law-firms.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- demonstrate skills of self-management including an ability to reflect on the content and quality of your own work;
- make critical judgments about international legal materials and relevant literature.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- the relevance of public international law's socio-political context and history to its nature and function through a range of theoretical approaches to and understandings of these;
- the methods and processes by which public international law is made by identifying, interpreting and applying international legal rules and principles;
- the development of public international law over time to place the current international situation in its historical context;
- the international legal rules concerning treaties and their application to factual scenarios.
- the relationship between international law and the domestic law of the UK and selected comparator jurisdictions and how each treats and applies the other;
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- critically analyse academic literature on public international law and situate your argument in relation to the arguments or positions advanced in that literature.
- apply the legal rules and principles studied on the course to factual scenarios;
- construct arguments through the analysis of relevant legal materials and literature;
Syllabus
The following is an indicative list of module content. These topics may change year-by-year, reflecting current developments and allowing syllabus evolution:
The Nature and Structure of Public International Law
The Sources of Public International Law
The Law of Treaties
The Relationship between International Law and Domestic Law
International Legal Personality, Statehood, and Recognition
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include:
Teaching will be delivered by lectures and tutorials.
Lectures will provide you with an overview of the law and the key principles / issues relevant to particular topics. After each lecture, and before the relevant tutorial, discussed below, you will be expected to complete independent study including reading of literature, cases, and international legal materials. You should refer to, and be guided by, the content of the lectures in carrying out this independent study.
Learning activities:
Tutorials will focus on questions supplied in advance. You will be expected to prepare answers to these questions and to come to the tutorial prepared to share their answers with the class in order to receive feedback from fellow-students and the tutorial leader. For some tutorials you may be asked to prepare a short presentation or to complete a short piece of written work.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 70 |
| Completion of assessment task | 16 |
| Wider reading or practice | 5 |
| Tutorial | 10 |
| Revision | 22 |
| Lecture | 20 |
| Follow-up work | 7 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
D. Harris & S. Sivakumaran (2015). Cases and Materials on International Law. Sweet and Maxwell.
M. Dixon (2013). Textbook on International Law. Oxford University Press.
M.D. Evans (ed) (2017). Blackstone's International Law Documents. Oxford University Press.
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Problem solving
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: You will receive individual written feedback on your answer, an invitation to meet with the tutor who marked your work during their office hours to discuss, and group written feedback (prepared by the module leader) via the course blackboard site.
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Examination | 100% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Examination | 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 |
|---|---|
| Examination | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External