Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW3146: International Law, Conflict and Strategy

This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

It is envisaged that the syllabus will cover the following topics. Please note that this syllabus is indicative and may be subject to change.

Term 1
The Context: Law, Conflict and Strategy

  1. International Law, Conflict and Strategy: An Introduction
  2. Foundations of International Law
  3. Foundations of Strategy

               Case-study I: The Use of Force

  1. The Rules Governing the Use of Force
  2. Iraq: From Resolution 678 to Resolution 1441
  3. Global War on Terror: From Afghanistan to ‘unwilling and unable’
  4. R2P: From Libya to the Ukraine

               Case-study II: The Legal Regulation of Warfare

  1. The Law of Armed Conflict
  2. Status and Treatment of Captured Enemies: POWs and Unlawful Combatants
  3. Direct Participation in Hostilities
  4. The Fog of Law: Human Rights and Military Operations
  5. The Refugee Crisis in Syria and its Surrounding States

 

Term 2
Case-study III: The Challenge of Technology

  1. Cyber Warfare: The Tallinn Manual and Beyond
  2. Banning Weapons: From the Cross-bow to Cluster-bombs
  3. Stop the Bomb: Weapons of Mass Destruction
  4. Rage against the Machine: Killer Robots and Drones

               Case-study IV: International Accountability and Justice

  1. International Criminal Justice and its Alternatives
  2. Selectivity in Confronting Evil: From Nuremberg to The Hague
  3. The Politics of the ICC
  4. The Crime of Crimes: Prosecuting Aggression

 

               Law, Conflict and Strategy: The Lessons

  1. Lawfare
  2. International Law: A Strategic Studies Perspective
  3. Strategic Studies: An International Law Perspective

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
552450

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning and teaching activities4623 x 2 hour Lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching activities96 x 1.5 hour Workshops
Guided independent study120Individual reading and lecture preparation
Guided independent study35Workshop preparation
Guided independent study70Summative assessment preparation
Guided independent study 20Formative assessment preparation

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).