Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW3148: European Convention on Human Rights: Theory and Practice

This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Although the module’s coverage may vary each year it is envisaged that it will include the following topics:

  • Introduction to human rights law and to the ECHR
  • Introduction to UK Human Rights Act
  • Substantive rights (e.g. the right to life, prohibition of torture or prohibition of slavery, privacy, freedom of expression)
  • Procedural rights (e.g. the right to a fair trial, the right to an effective remedy)
  • Techniques and problems of rights interpretation (e.g. margin of appreciation, proportionality, living instrument doctrine)
  • The ECHR in Europe, its relationships with the European Union and with selected Member States
  • Critical issues on the ECHR and European democracy

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
53247

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

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Learning and Teaching activities4422 x 2h Lectures
Learning and Teaching activities9Workshops - 6 x 1.5hr (3 per term) which will involve student-led individual and group work, with guidance and intervention from a tutor
Guided independent study120Individual reading and lecture preparation
Guided independent study37Workshop preparation
Guided independent study10Formative assessment
Guided independent study80Summative assessment

Online Resources

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

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

 

Web based and electronic resources:

Human rights documents and materials: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/

European Convention on Human Rights website: http://human-rights-convention.org/

European Court of Human Rights website: http://www.echr.coe.int/

Council of Europe website: http://www.echr.coe.int