Module LAW3146 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
LAW3146: International Law, Conflict and Strategy
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Aims
The module draws on the research interests and expertise of the Law School and the Strategy and Security Institute to provide you with a unique insight into the interaction between international law and strategy. It allows you to study some of the most pressing contemporary legal and security dilemmas and thereby gain a detailed understanding of the rules of international conflict and security law and their application in practice.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate a critical understanding of the key features of the international legal order and detailed knowledge of selected aspects of international conflict and security law; 2. demonstrate a critical understanding of the role that law plays in the international security environment and how strategic considerations shape the development and application of international law; |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. demonstrate a critical understanding of the role of law and legal argument as a constraining and enabling factor for political decision-making; 4. apply legal knowledge to complex problems and apply judgment when presented with competing policy imperatives; 5. select and process relevant information from a broad range of diverse primary and secondary materials; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 6. prepare analytically compelling work with limited guidance that employs appropriate interpretative techniques and presents a nunanced line of argument; 7. engage in debate effectively and develop complex arguments and opinions with limited guidance; 8. demonstrate the ability to work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
The following syllabus plan is indicative and may be subject to change, including in response to current developments. Some of the lectures may be delivered by visiting lecturers.
The Context: Law, Conflict and Strategy
- foundations of public international law
- foundations of strategy
I. The Use of Force
- the rules governing the use of force
- the Global War on Terror: from Afghanistan to ‘unwilling and unable’
- responsibilty to protect
II. The Conduct of Hostilities
- the law of armed conflict
- battlefield status and the law of targeting
- human rights and military operations
III. The Challenge of Technology
- the challenge of cyber warfare
- banning weapons: from the cross-bow to nuclear bombs
- killer robots, artificial intelligence and drones
IV. International Accountability and Justice
- selectivity in confronting evil: from Nuremberg to The Hague
- war crimes, genocide and other international crimes
- international criminal justice and its alternatives
Law, Conflict and Strategy: Some Lessons
- a practical perspective
- some conclusions
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | 242 | 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 activities | 46 | 23 x 2 hour Lectures |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 9 | 6 x 1.5 hour Workshops |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 3 | Attendance at relevant Exeter Centre for Intenrational Law seminars |
| Guided independent study | 130 | Individual reading and lecture preparation |
| Guided independent study | 32 | Workshop preparation |
| Guided independent study | 60 | Summative assessment preparation |
| Guided independent study | 20 | Formative assessment preparation |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
Other Learning Resources
D. Patrikarakos, War in 140 Characters: How Social Media Is Reshaping Conflict in the Twenty-First Century (2017).
L. Freedman, The Future of War: A History (2017).
T. Farrell, Unwinnable: Britain’s War in Afghanistan, 2001–2014 (2017).
D. Kilcullen, Out of the Mountains: The Coming Age of the Urban Guerrilla (2015).
V. Lowe, International Law (2007).
D. Armstrong, T. Farrell, H. Lambert, International Law and International Relations (2012).
P. Sands, Lawless World: Making and Breaking Global Rules (2nd edn, 2006).
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 | 1,500 words | 1-7 | Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 75 | 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 | 25 | 2,000 words | 1-10 | Individual written feedback, with supplementary oral feedback available |
| Examination | 75 | 2 hours and 15 minutes | 1-10 | Individual written feedback, with supplementary oral feedback available. |
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 (2,000 words) | 1-7 | Summer referred / deferred period |
| Examination | Examination (2hr 15min) | 1-8 | Summer referred / deferred period |
