50239 - INTERNATIONAL LAW
Department of Law
ROGER MICHAEL O'KEEFE
Suggested background knowledge
Mission & Content Summary
MISSION
CONTENT SUMMARY
Introduction. The sources of international law. The law of treaties. Statehood. The jurisdiction and immunities of states. International organizations. International responsibility. The use of interstate force. The peaceful settlement of international disputes.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
By the end of the course, students should have gained a doctrinal, practical, and critical knowledge and understanding of international law. Specifically, they should: know and understand the essential character and function of international law and know and understand its organizing concepts and principles; know and understand the different sources of international law; know and understand the law of treaties; know and understand the law governing statehood; know and understand the law governing the jurisdiction and immunities of states; know and understand the law of international organizations; know and understand the law of international responsibility; know and understand the law governing the use of interstate force; know and understand the law governing the peaceful settlement of international disputes.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
By the end of the course, students should be able to apply the different sources of international law; to apply the law of treaties; to apply the law governing statehood; to apply the law governing the jurisdiction and immunities of states; to apply the law of international organizations; to apply the law of international responsibility; to apply the law governing the use of interstate force; to apply the law governing the peaceful settlement of international disputes.
Teaching methods
- Lectures
- Practical Exercises
DETAILS
The exercises consist of classes at the end of each topic in which students are lead through both 'problem-style' questions involving the application of the law to hypothetical factual situations and 'essay-style' questions involving more conceptual discussion of the law.
Assessment methods
Continuous assessment | Partial exams | General exam | |
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ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Assessment consists of a general exam involving a choice of open-answer questions of both the 'problem-style' variety, involving the application of the law to hypothetical factual situations, and the 'essay-style' variety, involving more discursive description, explanation, illustration, analysis, discussion and evaluation of the law. The general exam accounts for 100% of a student's final grade for the course.
Teaching materials
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The textbook for the course is Malcolm Evans (ed.), International Law, 6th edition (Oxford University Press, 2024). It is recommended that students purchase this.
Students are required to purchase Malcolm Evans (ed.), Blackstone's International Law Documents, 15th edition (Oxford University Press, 2021). Students will need this to take into the exam with them. This book is not to be annotated in any way.
Additional reading materials are made available online.