International Criminal Justice

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• B3.apply the principles and rules of international criminal law to a practical case study
• B1.demonstrate critical awareness of the sources of international criminal law within the broader framework of public international law
• B2.analyse the essential elements of international crimes in terms of the ways in which these have been charged and prosecuted before the courts

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• C3.assess and evaluate competing and complementary solutions to the challenges of a globalised environment
• C2.communicate arguments effectively and reference sources appropriately
• C1.undertake independent research and access primary and secondary sources effectively

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• A2.the conventional and customary international law concerning genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity
• A3.the role of the different actors in the international criminal justice process, their powers and rights
• A1. feedback on coursework plan and bibliography plus general feedback in class

The following topics are indicative of those which will be covered. This is a very dynamic field and changes in content, order, name and scope of topics may be necessary from year to year to reflect current developments. The precise content of the module in any particular year will be confirmed in a module overview document, which will be distributed via the module Blackboard site before the first lecture.

• Substantive law on genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes as developed in the jurisprudence of international, internationalised and domestic criminal courts;
• International law principles of jurisdiction and immunities, including universal jurisdiction and head of state immunity;
• Modes of liability, including complicity and joint criminal enterprise, and superior or command responsibility;
• The fair trial rights of the accused and available defences;
• The rights of victims and participation of victims in an international or ‘hybrid’ criminal process.

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods:

One 2-hour seminar per week

Learning methods include:

• Directed and additional reading, as per distributed reading lists reproduced on Blackboard;
• Engagement with current legal developments and media reports to ensure that you can relate the material being discussed in class to contemporary controversies

Resources & Reading list

Internet Resources

Blackboard.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

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.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External