Unit name | European Human Rights Law |
---|---|
Unit code | LAWDM0120 |
Credit points | 30 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
Unit director | Dr. Rooney |
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 considers the central ideas, processes and institutions under the European Convention on Human Rights within a broad historical, sociological, political and philosophical framework. In most seminars, issues of conventional law and basic values will hold equal sway. The subject is treated as a series of interlocking debates about fundamental moral and political questions - and their legal ramifications - rather than as a system of rules devoid of context. Issues covered include liberty, privacy, right to life, torture, freedom of expression, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and the Human Rights Act 1998.
By the end of the unit, a successful student will be able to explain:
Students should also be able to critically appraise the judgements of the ECtHR in relation to wider debates about issues related to core ECHR rights, e.g. abortion, terrorism, discrimination, and to come to provisional, reasoned conclusions about how they might best be understood and the problems they present resolved.
This unit is also intended to improve the following benchmark skills critical analysis of legal texts, judicial opinions, and written argumentation.
The contact hours for this unit will be 30 hours. This will usually take the form of: 8 lectures, 10 two-hour seminars and 2 assessment preparation and feedback sessions.
Summative: a 2000 word essay (33%) will assess the candidate's ability to research a topic within the scope of this unit. The remaining Intended Learning Outcomes will be assessed in a 3 hour written examination (67%). Both assessments will assess all of the Intended Learning Outcomes for this unit in the context of topics selected by the examiners.
Formative: students should do one formative assessment (this will usually be 1 x 1500 word essay).