Module LAWM671 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
LAWM671: International Human Rights Law
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Aims
The aim of the module is to provide you with the opportunity to learn about and critically assess the major substantive and procedural aspects of international human rights law. The approach is practical, case-based, and discursive. The module will enable you to look in more detail at the issues generated by the internationalization, legalization and politics of human rights. The module will also give you the opportunity to consider contemporary challenges facing the human rights system including the extraterritorial obligations, hierarchy in human rights law, problems of interpretation, accountability mechanisms, the role of non-State actors and the issue of responding to large-scale human rights violations.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate deep and systematic knowledge and understanding of the nature of human rights in international law; 2. undertake complex critical evaluation of the major contemporary issues in the field of the protection of human rights at the international and the regional levels, using specialist literature and current research; 3. demonstrate deep and critical understanding of the procedural and substantive law of the relevant international bodies responsible for the supervision of States' obligations; 4. critically evaluate the role of the State and non-State actors in international human rights law; |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 5. undertake complex critical evaluation of the place of human rights in international law; 6. demonstrate flexible and innovative capacity to analyse complex legal problems, identify the relative significance of applicable rules and principles, and select appropriate methods for investigating and critically evaluating them; 7. demonstrate detailed and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of legal concepts relevant to human rights and critical awareness of their social and political implications; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 8. present, explain and critically evaluate a range of substantive and theoretical arguments through seminar, formative and summative exercises; 9. identify, retrieve and use the full range of library-based and electronic resources efficiently and autonomously; and 10. work independently and effectively, and to manage time efficiently in preparing for scheduled learning activities, exercises and assessment. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual oral presentation of a critical commentary on a seminar topic | 15 minutes depending on number of students | 1-10 | Oral feedback from the lecturer and other students |
| Essay | 1,500 words | 1-10 | Written feedback |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 100 | 7,500 words | 1-10 | Written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (7,500 words) | 1-10 | August/September reassessment period |
