Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW2144: International Law and the United Kingdom

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

Module Aims

The module is designed to provide you with an understanding of the key features of the international legal order and the role that international law plays in enabling and constraining the UK’s action on the international stage. It will enable you to discover the effect that international rules have in English law and their impact on government decision-making. The problem-oriented approach will allow you to study certain specific legal and policy challenges in greater detail and to benefit directly from the research undertaken by members of the teaching team in this area. Overall, the module will complement your knowledge of English and European law by equipping you with a better understanding of the role of law in international affairs.

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 Skills	1. demonstrate a critical understanding of the key features of the international legal order, the relationship between international law and English law, and the impact of international law on the United Kingdom. 2. demonstrate critical understanding and detailed knowledge of the operation and impact of international law in certain selected areas of study.
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 judgement when presented with competing policy imperatives.
Personal and Key Skills	5. prepare analytically compelling work that relies on diverse primary and secondary sources, employs appropriate interpretative techniques and presents a nuanced line of argument. 6. engage in debate effectively and to develop complex arguments and opinions with limited guidance.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

The following syllabus plan is indicative and may be subject to change, including in response to current developments. Some topics may be delivered by guest lecturers.

A rules-based international order

introduction to the course
the UK and a rules-based international order

International law in the domestic setting

the effect of treaties and custom in English law
exercising jurisdiction
foreign States in English courts
judicial review of foreign policy

Security, Conflict and Competition

collective security and self-defence
counter-terrorism
nuclear deterrence
cyber operations
humanitarian intervention
competition in the gray zone

International cooperation, values and commons

membership in international organizations
promoting human rights
making law at the global level
climate change and the environment
protecting cultural property
law of the sea
managing international trade

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
30	120	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	22	22 x 1 hour lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching	6	3 x 2 hour seminars
Scheduled learning and teaching	2	Exeter Centre for International Law seminar
Guided independent study	60	reading and lecture preparation
Guided independent study	40	summative assessment preparation
Guided independent study	14	formative assessment preparation
Guided independent study	6	seminar preparation

Online Resources

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

http://www.exeter.ac.uk/ecil

@ExeterCIL

Other Learning Resources

J. Hunt, Foreign Secretary's speech at the United States Institute For Peace, 21 August 2018 (https://www.gov.uk/).

R. Reichold, Do Ministers have to comply with international law? Court of Appeal looks at legal challenge, 20 November 2018 (Law of Nations blog).

M. Weller, An International Use of Force in Salisbury?, 14 March 2018 (EJIL Talk blog).

J. Klabbers, International Law (2^nd edn, 2017).

V. Lowe, International Law: A Very Short Introduction (2007).