Contemporary Issues in International Law

International law is an exciting field with many different areas which all have their own set problems and complexities. Whereas the RB1812 course International Law aims to increase the knowledge and understanding of core international subjects, this is an advanced course that enhances your knowledge and understanding of selected topics that are relevant in today’s globalised world. Upon completion of this course, you will have been introduced and gained an understanding of five specialised topics: the law of armed conflict, human rights and refugee law, international criminal law, environmental law (including the marine environment), and international economic law. Apart from these five specialised topics, this course will include a topic on theory and international law. Such conceptual thinking will empower you to understand better the competing politics, actors and ideologies of the international legal order.

Leerdoelen
You will prepare to meet the following objectives:
- acquire thorough knowledge of the fundamental concepts and frameworks underlying international legal governance and its specialised regimes;
- demonstrate in-depth knowledge and ability to engage with certain key aspects of the contemporary debates in international law;
- gain the ability to engage with contemporary questions of international law within their factual and legal context;
- demonstrate an ability to understand and analyse critically a wide variety of complex issues, drawing on a variety of materials;
- develop expertise in conducting legal research using materials from a variety of national, regional and international sources;
- engage accurately and coherently with the arguments and analysis of academic commentators;
- write and present orally in a clear and structured way and put forward ideas in a scholarly manner;
- demonstrate an ability to explore creatively complex issues in writting.