| Unit name | International Law of Labour and Welfare Rights |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWDM0027 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Novitz |
| 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 is designed to introduce students to issues surrounding international protection of labour rights (such as freedom of association, equal treatment, protection from child labour and freedom from forced labour) and welfare rights (such as rights to housing, healthcare, social security and food). The relationship between these entitlements and 'third-generation rights' will also be explored. The unit examines what standards relating to labour and welfare rights have been adopted within the international community, the form in which they have been protected and the specific mechanisms utilised for their enforcement. This entails not only a technical analysis of international instruments and supervisory structures but also some detailed consideration of underlying social, political and economic concerns. These are examined in their historical context and in the work of the International Labour Organization, the Council of Europe (the European Social Charter) and the United Nations (the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights).
Students who complete the course successfully should: be aware of current issues regarding the international law of labour and welfare rights, as well as the significance of regulatory techniques; be knowledgeable about the international institutions which affect labour and welfare standards, including their forms of governance and their constitutional objectives, be able to analyse closely international legal instruments relevant to labour standards and to be able to consider problems of implementation. As internet materials will be used as a key source of reference, students will be expected to hone their internet research skills. Students will also be expected to have engaged with a range of secondary literature and to have done independent research on the topics studied.
Eleven compulsory two hour seminars (22) hours and voluntary attendance at lectures (maximum of 20 hours)
One 3,000 word essay (worth 33%) which will give students the option to research a particular area of international law in depth, which relates to socio-economic rights, the writing of which should display their ability to research independently and to engage in a critical and evaluative fashion with the legal materials studied. One 3 hour written examination (worth 67%) which will give students the ability to display the range of knowledge on the key issues arising in the field of international law of labour and welfare rights. Students will be assessed not only on the basis of their knowledge of the legal materials, but also their ability to place legal developments in an economic, social and political context and evaluate their probable effects.
