Unit name | European Human Rights Law |
---|---|
Unit code | LAWDM0120 |
Credit points | 30 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
Unit director | Dr. Rooney |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit considers the European Convention on Human Rights system (ECHR) including its history, effectiveness and substantive case law. The structure, operation and interrelationship of articles of the ECHR are explored through a range of selected topics, ranging from reproductive rights to detention and killings in armed conflict. The unit includes a critical appraisal of aspects of Article 1 (jurisdiction clause), Article 2 (right to life), Article 3 (right against torture and inhumane and degrading treatment), Article 5 (right to liberty and security), Article 8 (private life), Article 9 (freedom of religion) Article 15 (derogations) and the First Protocol (Right to Property). Various methods of interpretation adopted by the European Court of Human Rights are analysed, including (international, regional, domestic) consensus, evolution, proportionality, the margin of appreciation and systemic integration.
By the end of the unit, a successful student will be able to:
The contact hours for this unit will be 30 hours. This will usually take the form of: 8 lectures, 10 two-hour seminars and 2 assessment preparation and feedback sessions.
Summative: 2 x 3000 word essays (50% each) will assess the candidate's ability to research a topic within the scope of this unit. Both assessments will assess all of the Intended Learning Outcomes for this unit in the context of topics selected by the examiners.
Formative: students should do one formative assessment (this will usually be 1 x 1500 word essay).
The core textbook for this course is:
Essential reading will be set from this textbook almost every week so it is advisable to have it in your possession at all times as a reference guide.
The main focus of seminars will be on the cases themselves.
Judgements of the European Court of Human Rights can be found on the Court’s HUDOC database: http://www.echr.coe.int/ECHR/EN/hudoc. This is freely available to the general public and you will be able to find all of the Commission judgements there too. It also is a great resource for additional information such as factsheets. In terms of physical copies of the judgements, decisions of the European Court of Human Rights can be found in the Wills Library and in the European Human Rights Reports (EHRR). Decisions of the European Commission of Human Rights can be found in Decisions and Reports (D&R) and in the Yearbook.