Postgraduate Module Descriptor

LAWM683: International Criminal Law

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 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. 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.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

 

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

 

  • Introduction to international criminal law – what is an international crime?

 

  • War Crimes and Crime of Aggression

 

  • Crimes Against Humanity

 

  • Genocide

 

  • Selected transnational Crimes incl. Terrorism and Financing Terrorism, Drug or Human Trafficking, Cyber Crime or Modern Day Piracy

 

  • Liability in international criminal law and defences

 

  • International Military Tribunals; ICTY and ICTR

 

  • International Criminal Court

 

  • Internationalised criminal courts and domestic prosecutions

 

  • Transitional Justice

 

  • International criminal justice: current and future challenges 

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
332670

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

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity33The module will be divided into 11 interactive seminars of 3 hours each, requiring active participation of the whole group.
Guided Independent Study180Assigned seminar readings (including for the seminar paper).
Guided Independent Study24Preparation of seminar essay and presentation: students will research and write a paper on the seminar topic, presenting it to the rest of the group.
Guided independent study60Research for and writing of summative/assessed essay.
Guided Independent Study3Attendance 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 Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia Sources: http://www.un.org/icty/ 
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda Sources: http://www.ictr.org/ 
International Criminal Court Sources: http://www.icc-cpi.int/ 

Other Learning Resources

American Journal of International Law (AJIL) 

European Journal of International Law (EJIL) 

Criminal Law Forum du Droit International (C L For) 

International and Comparative Law Quarterly (ICLQ) 

Journal of International Criminal Justice (JICJ)

Leiden Journal of International Law (LJIL)

International Criminal Law Review (ICLR)

Journal of Conflict and Security Law (JCSL)

Criminal Law Forum (CFL)