| Unit name | General Principles of International Law |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWDM0026 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. McConnell |
| 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?
International law has come to regulate a large variety of issues, from armed conflict, terrorism and human rights to trade, investment and the environment. In an increasingly complex and interconnected global landscape, events and legal issues are rarely confined to one single country, and may affect the international community as a whole. This unit provides students with an understanding of the foundational aspects of this complex and multi-faceted system of law. It critically examines what international law is, whether it matters, and how its rules are created, enforced and applied. As such, the unit provides a solid and in-depth introduction to the structure and principles of public international law. It will also prepare students with the knowledge required for more specialist aspects of international law. The unit is designed to make students think critically about the structure, function and practice of international law and its relevance to contemporary international problems.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Rather than focusing on one particular field of international law, this explores themes that are common to all of the areas of international law that you may encounter in other units on your LLM pathway. Knowledge of these general principles is transferrable, and will strengthen and deepen your study of various specialist subsets of international law, including human rights, humanitarian law, international criminal law, and international economic law. The unit also considers the application of international law before domestic courts which will be of interest to students pursuing LLM pathways focused primarily on domestic law.
An overview of content
This unit explores the foundational principles which underpin the operation of international law. It considers where international law comes from (the sources of international law, including the law of treaties); the entities that are subjects of international legal regulation (international personality, including issues of statehood and recognition); the principles by which a state can exercise its authority over other individuals and states (jurisdiction); the situations in which a state cannot exercise such jurisdiction (including state and personal immunity); and the circumstances in which a state will be liable under international law both for the acts of its organs and other entities with which it engages (state responsibility). All these issues will be examined in the light of current concerns within the international community.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
You will develop a nuanced understanding of the key principles that underpin the operation of international law. You will develop critical thinking skills which will allow you to analyse and evaluate legal issues relating to current international challenges, and will develop insights into the practical operation of key international institutions. You will develop strong independent research skills that enable you to access key international law sources and academic commentary.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit, a successful student will be able to:
Teaching will include learning activities including lectures, small group work, discussions, individual tasks, and in-seminar presentations for a minimum of 10 weeks. These learning sessions can be on campus or online, and both synchronous or asynchronous.
The unit will also require directed and self-directed learning, which will include activities such as reading materials included in the unit’s reading list, accessing web-based supplementary materials, critical analysis, completion of tasks for in-seminar presentation, and completion of assessments.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Formative assessment will take the form of a single 1,500 word essay. The formative question will be released directly after the conclusion of the first topic. Individual written feedback will be provided ahead of the release of the summative assessment. Formative feedback will also be provided within the lectures, seminars, office hours and through a discussion thread on Blackboard.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The unit will be assessed via a single 4,000 word piece of coursework worth 100% of the final mark. The coursework questions will require a critical analysis of several topics encountered during the unit, and questions may include optionality to allow you to critically analyse particular topics of your choice. In preparation for the coursework, you will be expected to carry out independent research beyond the unit reading list. This assessment will cover all Intended learning Outcomes for this unit.
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. LAWDM0026).
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.
