INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL LAW - 2022/3

Module Overview

Introduction to International Law will provide students with an introductory overview of the international law as a discipline in its historical context and in light of topical, contemporary case studies. The first half of the module will entail a historical narrative of the development of international law, particularly the role of international organization and the individual in it, in the modern era. The second half of the module will present the interconnectivity of various sub-fields of international law within the prism of engaging and topical case studies in current affairs.  This will be extremely useful for those students who wish to choose other International Law-related modules in Level 6 (Public International Law I, Public International Law II, International Criminal Law, International Human Rights Law) in their studies and for those who wish to undertake an international legal career as a profession.

Module provider

School of Law

Module Leader

ANASTASIOU Thekli (Schl of Law)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Treaties and customary international law;


• The Inreraction Between Domestic Law and Int’l Law;


• The Development of Int’l Organizations;


• Feminism and Int’l Law


• Jurisdiction & Immunities in Int’l Law


• The Legacy of the Iraq War;


• Guantanamo Bay and Detention;


• The Syrian Civil War;


• The Crisis in Crimea and the Ukraine;


• The Challenge of Climate Change.

 

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

This module is assessed in two stages of summative assessment, each of which is valued at 50% of the overall mark. In the first summative assessment, held at the same time as the formative assessments in the LL.B. programme, students will take part in an oral, synchronous presentation in pairs over twenty minutes (ten minutes per individual) to be delivered to the module convenor and second marker. The format is a research and analysis task for which students are expected to report to a supervisor in a format similar to the role of a pupil barrister or trainee solicitor. To enhance the realism and quality of the experience, external practitioners will be used whenever feasible to receive the briefings and to provide feedback to supplement the formal marks and comments of the examiners. The feedback is not part of the formal assessment but rather is intended to be developmental: externals play no role in the marking process. 

To reflect the world of practice, collaborative skills are assessed as part of the first summative assessment. While students are assessed according to their individual contributions to the paired assignment, they are also assessed according to their overall contribution as a team. 

Completion of the first summative assessment is not compulsory to be eligible to sit the second summative assessment, which is a closed-book, in-person synchronous examination over two hours. The exam questions entail broad themes enabling students to flexibly draw upon and synthesise various subject areas covered in the module. The two summative assessments address all learning outcomes listed above.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• A paired, oral presentation in the form of a research and analysis briefing.


• An individual, two-hour closed book exam where the students will choose to answer two topics out of an assorted selection.

Formative assessment and feedback

As two rounds of summative assessment of equal weight are provided, no formative assessment is conducted for this module. 

Contingency

In extreme circumstances, the module convenor may permit a student to be assessed for 100% of the module mark as an individual exam. This is entirely at the discretion of the module convenor and to be used only in rare cases.

The assessment method for each module has been selected to test a variety of key skills, competences and outcomes as required by QAA. As such, assessment method cannot be changed. Reasonable adjustment may be made on application subject to ALS approval AND only where such adjustment still allows for the required skills, key competences and outcomes to be assessed at an equivalent level.

Module aims

• To provide an introduction into the historical development and contemporary challenges in international law;
• To understand the interconnectivity and interdependence between different areas of international law;
• To explain the role of various international legal actors, including States, international organisations and individuals;
• To understand and critically assess the role of PIL in regulating relationships between states and individuals;
• To understand and critique the role of individuals and non-governmental organisations in the progressive development of international law.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

Teaching in this module is designed to provide students with a range of resources on which they can draw in their learning. A list of required and recommended readings, with notes and questions that will be used to guide class discussion and reflection. The module will be delivered by a combination of lectures and tutorials.  There will be eleven 2-hour lectures and six 1-hour tutorials.  Materials will be posted on SurreyLearn, where students will also engage with the lecturers and their peers through ad-hoc discussion forums on topical question. Tutorials will provide students with the possibility to answer essay questions, to deal with scenarios and to make oral presentations.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: LAW2083

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2022/3 academic year.