| Unit name | International Law and Human Rights |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWDM0123 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Murray |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
The object of this unit is to introduce students to the principles and mechanisms in international human rights law. It provides students with a detailed examination and critique of the mechanisms at the UN and regional levels that monitor state compliance, and develops research skills utilised in legal practice by applying their understanding of mechanisms to thematic issues.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This optional unit offers an international dimension to the study of human rights, thereby offering in-depth critical consideration of how regional and international institutions work in practice alongside specialist topic areas delivered by experts in those fields. It will be of particular interest to students on the Human Rights, International Law, and International Law and International Relations LLM programmes.
An overview of content
This will consider the mechanisms available at the UN and regional levels that monitor state compliance with their human rights obligations, as defined by treaties adopted under these systems. Taking a practical approach, the unit considers various themes such as prevention of torture, as lens through which to examine the application of these mechanisms and norms.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Students will obtain in-depth understanding from experts with knowledge in the topics being taught of the regional and international human rights system as well as contemporary topic areas in human rights law. A practical approach, drawn upon the experiences of those teaching, will offer students real-life examples of how to apply human rights law in practice, thereby enabling them to develop skills essential for a career in human rights law.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the unit, a successful student will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through lectures and seminars as well as talks by invited experts. Learning will involve staff-delivered lectures, self-directed readings and listening (videos, podcasts, etc.), independent reading and research, interactive, involve group work and practical exercises to reflect the reality of human rights legal work in practice. The summative coursework is tailored to reflect these different skills.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
A formative assessment (this will be 1 x 1,500 word essay) will support the drafting of the summative piece which is practical. A seminar will be devoted to walking students through the practical, real-life example, which will form the formative piece. Students will then write this up and submit as their formative piece. An additional lecture will give broader guidance on the writing of coursework, written feedback will be given on the formative piece and additional one-to-one meetings also provide opportunities for further clarification. Other formative tasks will include discussions in the seminars and group exercises. These activities should contribute to constant training of students’ thinking, analytical, argumentative and communication skills and work with legal sources and literature.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The summative piece (4,000 words) will follow a similar task to the formative, being practical in nature, taking a particular theme (learning outcome 2) to undertake a critical examination and evaluation of standards and mechanisms in human rights law (learning outcome 1). The piece will be practical in nature thereby applying standard and principles to a real-life example or situation (learning outcome 3).
When assessment does not go to plan:
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, the unit will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis with new assessment questions.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LAWDM0123).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
