Course Resources Archive

This module covers public international law and its progress from a set of principles to a constituent part of English law, concentrating on essential principles of the public international legal system including the infrastructure of the public international system, sources of international law, the role of international law in the national arena, legal subjects on the public international sphere.

Introduction to public international law including its historical development; fundamental principles; sources of international law; how international law operates on the national sphere; the actors in the international arena and recognition of states; sovereignty over territory; jurisdictional sovereignty; immunity from national jurisdiction; international human rights law; international criminal law.

A student passing this module should be able to:

1. demonstrate comprehensive and accurate knowledge and understanding of those aspects of public international law identified in the indicative syllabus above and form a critical judgement on areas of uncertainty in the topics studied.

2. demonstrate a sound knowledge and critical understanding of how cultural, political and economic considerations have influenced the formulation and development of public international law;

3 demonstrate a sound knowledge and critical understanding of enforcement mechanisms in public international law;

4. critically analyse complex problems in public international law, apply the legal principles studied to these problems, evaluate competing arguments and present well supported conclusions, both orally and in writing;

5. read and study primary and secondary sources of public international law, including international treaties, with minimal staff guidance; critically analyse, interpret, evaluate and synthesise information from a variety of sources;

6. Identify sources for research and further develop a strategy for research using standard and electronic research tools.

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.