Postgraduate Module Descriptor

LAWM114: Post-Conflict Governance, Rule of Law and Justice

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

Module Aims

You will gain a deeper understanding of post-conflict governance, security and justice, including an increased awareness of current developments and areas of disagreement. The course offers a highly practical insight into how international law is applied in post-conflict/crisis and transitional environments, which is aimed at stimulation of a vibrant discussion of key contemporary challenges in the context of international development.

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 Skills	1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the rules of international law governing the post-conflict/crisis rule of law, security and governance, including detailed knowledge of the core legal concepts applicable in this area and their contextual/social/political implications. 2. Demonstrate critical understanding of the contemporary challenges facing the stabilization and peacebuilding in young democracies.
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Develop, apply and critically assess international legal arguments, using a wide range of appropriate primary materials and advanced scholarship. 4. Demonstrate critical understanding of the relationship between the different branches and sources of rules of law, including potential norm conflicts, and between legal and non-legal considerations impacting on legal argument and advice.
Personal and Key Skills	5. Identify, retrieve and use efficiently and autonomously a range of library-based and electronic resources. 6. Identify, retrieve and use efficiently and autonomously a range of library-based and electronic resources. 7. Communicate and engage in debate effectively and accurately, orally and in writing, in a manner appropriate to the discipline.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

Introduction to the concept of stabilisation operations and its legal underpinnings in post- crisis and transitional environments;

Safe and secure environment in integrated military-civil effort- legal challenges;

Rule of Law and post-conflict judiciary, law enforcement and prison administration;

Transitional justice and dealing with conflict- related crimes,

Right of return and post-conflict resettlement;

Stable governance: involving legal aspects of the creation and functioning of effective State institutions encompassing legislative, executive and judicial division of powers,

Going forward: regulation of free and responsible media, fair and independent elections and robust civil society;

Law and sustainable economy;

Vulnerable groups: legal protection of minorities; ensuring access to justice for women;

Role of international, regional and national organisations in advancement of rule of law, in peace building process and stabilisation effort.

Learning and Teaching

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

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
33	267

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

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity	30	Seminars (10 x 3 hours)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity	3	Exercise: this activity will take place over two days and simulate a command post exercise to provide you with an opportunity to apply your knowledge in a practical setting.
Guided Independent Study	24	Preparation of seminar essay paper: for each seminar at least one student will research and write a paper on the seminar topic, presenting it to the rest of the group.
Guided Independent Study	200	Assigned seminar readings (including for the seminar paper).
Guided Independent Study	40	Preparation of the assessed/summative essay.
Guided Independent Study	3	Preparation for the exercise.

Online Resources

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

Lawfare (blog): https://www.lawfareblog.com/

Just Security (blog): https://www.justsecurity.org/

Opinio Juris (blog): http://opiniojuris.org/