Postgraduate Module Descriptor

LAWM037: The Use of Force in International Law

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

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:

Just war and the jus ad bellum
The prohibition of the use of force
Self-defence: principles and elements
Self-defence against non-state actors
Anticipatory self-defence
Humanitarian intervention and R2P
Collective security and the UN Security Council
Enforcement action under the UN Charter
Criminalization of aggressive war

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
36	264	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 per week). The main teaching method for the module consists of weekly seminars requiring active participation by all students under guidance of the module convenor.
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity	3	Attendance at relevant events organised by the Exeter Centre for International Law.
Guided Independent Study	20	Preparation of individual and group seminar presentations.
Guided Independent Study	179	Assigned seminar readings.
Guided Independent Study	25	Preparation of the formative essay.
Guided Independent Study	40	Preparation of the summative assessment.

Online Resources

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

United Nations: www.un.org/en/

International Court of Justice: http://www.icj-cij.org/homepage/index.php?lang=en

HeinOnline: http://heinonline.org/

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

EJIL:Talk! (blog): http://www.ejiltalk.org/

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

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
Essay	1,800 words	1-7	Written feedback from the module convenor with percentage grade
Written position paper for one of the oral presentations (x1)	700 words	1-7	Written feedback from the module convenor with percentage grade

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
0	100	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
Examination	100	2.5 hours	1-7	Written with percentage grade

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
Examination	Examination (2.5 hours)	1-7	August/September re-assessment period