CODE | INL4000 | ||||||
TITLE | International Human Rights Law | ||||||
UM LEVEL | 04 - Years 4, 5 in Modular UG or PG Cert Course | ||||||
MQF LEVEL | Not Applicable | ||||||
ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
DEPARTMENT | Public Law | ||||||
DESCRIPTION | The study-unit will seek to provide students with an understanding of international human rights law from both a theoretical and a substantive perspective. As an introduction, the first lectures will provide a general appraisal of the historical and conceptual basis of modern human rights regimes by referring to major developments and by examining the essential legal concepts underpinning the international human rights law system. Issues dealt with will include, inter alia, the universality and indivisibility of human rights, the establishment work of the United Nations, the classification of first, second and third generation rights and the creation of regional systems for the protection of human rights. The study-unit will present an overview of the international and regional human rights systems: the United Nations treaty-based and charter-based mechanisms, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the African and Inter-American systems. Emphasis will be placed on the relevant standards and bodies in an evaluative and comparative method. Furthermore, the role of international organisations (intergovernmental and non-) in the formulation and creation of international human rights law content and principles will be also be highlighted. The student presentations will provide interactive sessions offering analyses of major substantive texts and issues including the rights of women, the rights of the child, refugee law, international criminal law, the right to development and migration. Students are to note that no resit will be allowed for classwork which constitutes of 25% of the overall mark. Study-Unit Aims: - To obtain an in-depth understanding of the core principles of intentional human rights law; - To familiarise students with the substantive and procedural content of the United Nations core human rights treaties; - To acquire the capacity to interpret human rights provisions, specifically and within a particular context; - To obtain an overview of the relationship between the United Nation's treaty-based and Charter-based human rights mechanisms. Learning Outcomes: Throughout the study-unit the students will gain good understanding of the notion of human rights and the main principles supporting the international human rights regime. Together with this theoretical appreciation, the students will examine the major relevant texts and analyse the work of the relevant organisations in defining the substance and applicability of specific human rights provisions in very specific situations. The broad coverage of the universal and regional systems aims to facilitate an appreciation of the far-reaching implications of human rights and of the various forms of application they have in various parts of the world. The study-unit will emphasise the legal approach to the topic so as to enhance the students’ abilities to formulate arguments and propose solutions based on thorough legal analyses and discussions. Class-work is being selected as one of the methods of assessment in order to immerse the students in the human rights discourse. Reading List: - Brownlie I. and Goodwin-Gill G. (Ed.), Bronwnlie’s Documents on Human Rights, Oxford University Press (2010) Sixth Edition. - Rhona K.M. Smith, Textbook on International Human Rights, Oxford University Press (2010) Fourth Edition. - Rehman J., International Human Rights Law, Pearson Education Limited (2009) Second Edition. - Haas Michael, International Human Rights: A Comprehensive Introduction (2008). |
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ADDITIONAL NOTES | Students taking this study-unit need to have a background in law. | ||||||
STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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LECTURER/S | Jean Pierre Gauci |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |