Module LAWM097 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
LAWM097: International Law of Armed Conflict
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Aims
The aim of this course is to provide you with a detailed understanding of the core concepts, principles and rules of the law of armed conflict, in particular those governing land warfare, and to introduce you to some of its contemporary challenges. In doing so, the course attempts to shed light on how the law of armed conflict seeks to balance considerations of military necessity and the inevitability of war on the one hand with humanitarian values and the need to limit human suffering on the other hand.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate detailed knowledge of the core concepts, principles and rules of the law of armed conflict with a particular emphasis on the rules applicable to land warfare; 2. Demonstrate critical understanding of the practical and conceptual challenges arising in the implementation of the law of armed conflict; |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Demonstrate flexible and innovative ability to develop, apply and critically assess international legal arguments, using a wide range of appropriate primary materials and advanced scholarship; 4. Select, integrate, evaluate and present relevant law and complex legal arguments, clearly, autonomously and competently, orally and in writing; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 5. Manage relevant learning resources and complex information confidently and independently, and to develop own arguments and opinions at a very high level; 6. Communicate and engage in debate effectively and accurately. 7. Work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Please note that the following syllabus is indicative and that the topics covered by the module may change from year to year:
- Introduction to the Law of Armed Conflict
- Material, Geographical and Temporal Scope of Application
- Personal Scope of Application
- Targeting
- Means of Warfare
- Methods of Warfare
- Detention in Armed Conflict
- LOAC and International Human Rights Law
- The Law of Non-International Armed Conflict
- Humanitarian Assistance
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 | 0 |
...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 | 33 | Seminars (11 x 3 hours): the main teaching method for the module consists of weekly seminars requiring active participation by all students under guidance of the module convenor. |
| Guided Independent Study | 24 | Preparation of seminar 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 | Attendance at relevant events organised by the Exeter Centre for International Law. |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
International Committee of the Red Cross: http://www.icrc.org/
International Review of the Red Cross: http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/international-review/index.jsp
International Law Department, US Naval War College: http://www.usnwc.libguides.com/LOAC-IHL
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia: http://www.icty.org/
United Nations War Crimes Commission Law Reports of Trials of War Criminals (LRTWC): http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/law-reports-trials-war-criminals.html
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar paper forming the basis of a presentation to the group | 1,000 words | 1-6 | Individual and collective oral feedback from the module convenor and the seminar group |
| Individual oral seminar presentation to the seminar group on the basis of the seminar paper | 15 minutes | 1-6 | Individual and collective oral feedback from the module convenor and the seminar group |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written essay | 50 | 3,000 words | 1-6 | Written with percentage grade |
| Examination | 50 | 2 hours | 1-7 | Written with percentage grade |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written essay | Written essay (3,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September assessment period |
| Examination | Examination (2 hours) | 1-7 | August/September assessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
D. Fleck (ed), The Handbook of Humanitarian Law in Armed Conflicts (3rd edn, 2013)
Y. Dinstein, The Conduct of Hostilities under the Law of International Armed Conflict (3rd edn, 2016)
G. D. Solis, The Law of Armed Conflict: International Humanitarian Law in War (2nd, 2016);
R. Kolb and R. Hyde, An Introduction to the International Law of Armed Conflicts (2008)
UK Ministry of Defence, The Manual on the Law of Armed Conflict (2004, OUP)
