International Human Rights Law
Volledige vakbeschrijving
This course offers an overview of some of the key concepts of international human rights law. It also provides an introduction to selected topics, while at the same time providing scope for deep discussion and analysis of the main topics of interest in the field. The course will focus on the protection of human rights at the international level – developments occurring within the framework of the United Nations (UN) and regional organisations in particular.
The course covers both the substance of human rights and procedural issues. This means that attention is not only paid to the normative framework of human rights law, including the different categories of rights, but there is also attention paid to international supervisory and monitoring procedures developed within the UN and regional organisations.
In addition, a number of current issues, which from the perspective of globalisation directly or indirectly affect the protection of human rights, are discussed.
Assessment methods
Final written exam (75%) and participation in a mock examination of a human rights State report by a United Nations treaty monitoring body (25%)
Doelstellingen van dit vak
The course objectives are to ensure that:
- students understand how the human rights track (specialisation) they have chosen relates to and interacts with the other tracks of the Globalisation & Law Master program;
- students understand the underlying theoretical notions of international human rights law, such as universality and non-discrimination, the different categories of rights, monitoring mechanisms, and enforcement;
- students understand the typical features of international human rights law compared to other branches of public international law;
- students have knowledge of, and understand at an advanced level, international human rights standards, principles and monitoring mechanisms (especially those developed within the framework of international organisations) and are able to apply these to specific present-day cases and situations in a global society;
- students have knowledge of the limitations and challenges of applying human rights in practice by different actors (governments, courts, NGOs, individuals, human rights defenders and international organisations); and finally
- students are able to write and express an (oral) opinion on a current human rights issue (as part of an assignment for a group discussion).
Voorwaarden
None
Aanbevolen voorkennis
In addition to some pre-knowledge of human rights law, a sound understanding of the main features of international law (e.g. sources, subjects and state responsibility etc.) is required.
Aanbevolen literatuur
Obligatory readings are: Bantekas and L. Oette, International Human Rights Law and Practice, Cambridge University Press, third edition, 2020; and U. Khaliq, International Human Rights Law Documents, Cambridge University Press, 2018, (a compilation of international human rights instruments).
Moreover, for some sessions, students will be assigned cases from the Oxford Reports on International Law (ORIL) database and other selected readings, with the page numbers or excerpts indicated.
- A.C. Broderick