Postgraduate Module Descriptor


LAWM683: International Criminal Law

This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.

Module Aims

The aim of this module is to use research-enriched teaching to provide you with an understanding of both institutional and substantive aspects of international criminal law. The module will examine key institutional developments in the field of international criminal law and encourage you to reflect critically on the nature, function, strengths and weaknesses of various international criminal justice mechanisms. It will also develop your understanding of the evolution and current scope of international crimes and aspects of individual criminal responsibility. This will enable you to gain an appreciation of the role that international criminal justice can and should play as part of a wider response to mass atrocity.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.

On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. critically evaluate legal institutions that have been established to investigate and prosecute international crimes;
2. demonstrate detailed knowledge of the law relating to international crimes, criminal procedure and aspects of individual criminal responsibility;
Discipline-Specific Skills3. demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of a range of legal concepts, values, principles, institutions and procedures, and the ability to explain the relationships between them;
4. demonstrate detailed knowledge of legal concepts and their contextual/social/political implications;
5. demonstrate ability to integrate and assess information from primary and secondary legal sources using appropriate interpretative techniques;
Personal and Key Skills6. identify, retrieve and use efficiently and autonomously a range of library-based and electronic resources; and
7. communicate and engage in debate effectively, confidently and autonomously, orally and in writing, in a manner appropriate to the discipline.