Unit name | International Law and Armed Conflict |
---|---|
Unit code | LAWDM0158 |
Credit points | 30 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
Unit director | Dr. Burton |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit is a unique course which requires students to study the intersections between the law on the use of force (jus ad bellum), the law of armed conflict/war (jus in bello), and when a state’s use of force and breaches of the laws of war attract international criminal sanction. It distinguishes key international crimes from the former international legal regimes, including crimes against humanity and genocide. This engagement with the intersections of different fields of international law is key for understanding contemporary global warfare, an important example being global counter-terror operations, which have been termed ‘internationalised’ non-international armed conflict. Students will learn which domestic and international adjudicatory mechanisms can enforce each body of law, and how their adjudication can have a bearing on the substance of the intersecting legal regimes.
On completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through a variety of asynchronous and synchronous activities.
Students will be assessed by 2 x 3,000 word coursework assignments. Each 1 x 3,000 word coursework will amount to 50% of the overall mark. Both assessments will assess all of the Intended Learning Outcomes for this unit in the context of topics selected by the examiners.
Formative assessment opportunities will be provided during the year.
Books
Christine Gray, International Law and the Use of Force (4th edn, OUP 2018)
Robert Kolb, International Law on the Maintenance of Peace: Jus Contra Bellum (Elgar 2019)
Weller (ed), The Oxford Handbook of the Use of Force in International Law (OUP 2015)
Carsten Stahn, A Critical Introduction to International Criminal Law (CUP 2019)
Robert Cryer et al, An Introduction to International Criminal Law and Procedure (CUP 2014) (online publication 2018)
International Criminal Court - http://www.icc-cpi.int
International Court of Justice - https://www.icj-cij.org/en