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International Human Rights Law

Module description

The module focuses on the various ways in which international law has responded since 1945 to the challenges posed by such violations and to the calls for the universal protection of human rights. The module has been designed with future practitioners and academics in mind. It will introduce you to, and provide a critical analysis of, the legal regime for the promotion and protection of human rights at the international and regional levels. You will become equipped with an understanding of the various mechanisms operating at these levels to protect and address human abuses. In addition, we will explore the role of key actors who engage at this level, including States, NGOs, and national human rights institutions, and the role they play, particularly in respect to implementation.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of the module is to provide you with the opportunity to learn about and critically assess the major substantive and procedural aspects of international human rights law. It intends to support you to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the rules, institutions, and processes of international human rights law, as well as the ability to identify the gaps, opportunities, and challenges present in the contemporary international and regional human rights systems. The approach is practical, case-based, and discursive.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. demonstrate deep and systematic knowledge and understanding of the nature of human rights in international law;
• 2. undertake complex critical evaluation of the major contemporary issues in the field of the protection of human rights at the international and the regional levels, using specialist literature and current research;
• 3. demonstrate deep and critical understanding of the procedural and substantive law of the relevant international bodies responsible for the supervision of States' obligations;
• 4. critically evaluate the role of the State and non-State actors in international human rights law;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. undertake complex critical evaluation of the place of human rights in international law;
• 6. demonstrate flexible and innovative capacity to analyse complex legal problems, identify the relative significance of applicable rules and principles, and select appropriate methods for investigating and critically evaluating them;
• 7. demonstrate detailed and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of legal concepts relevant to human rights and critical awareness of their social and political implications;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 8. present, explain and critically evaluate a range of substantive and theoretical arguments through assessments and learning sessions;
• 9. identify, retrieve and use the full range of available resources efficiently and autonomously; and
• 10. work independently and effectively, and to manage time efficiently in preparing for scheduled learning activities and assessments.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:

• The nature and development of human rights in international law
• Global and regional standard-setting and implementation
• Legal accountability for human rights – interpretation and human rights treaty bodies 
• Regional human rights courts
• Emerging challenges

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Michael K. Addo (ed), International Law of Human Rights (Aldershot) 2005
• Olivier De Schutter, International Human Rights Law. Cases, Materials, Commentary (CUP) 2010
• Daniel Moeckli, Sangeeta Shah & Sandesh Sivakumaran (eds), International Human Rights Law (OUP) 2010
• Philip Alston and Ryan Goodman, International Human Rights (OUP) 2013
• Rhona K. M. Smith, Texts and Materials on International Human Rights, 3rd ed (Routledge) 2013

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=9200
• Human rights documents and materials: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/  
• UN Documentation: Human Rights: http://research.un.org/en/docs/humanrights  
• Universal Human Rights Index: http://uhri.ohchr.org/  
• Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: http://www.ohchr.org/   
• European Convention on Human Rights website: http://human-rights-convention.org/  
• European Court of Human Rights: http://www.echr.coe.int/  
• Inter-American Court of Human Rights: http://www.corteidh.or.cr/  
• African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights: http://www.african-court.org/  
• American Society of International Law Electronic Resource Guide on International Human Rights: http://www.asil.org/erg/?page=ihr  

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

• Rosalyn Higgins, Problems & Process: International Law and How We Use It (Clarendon) 1994
• Philip Alston and James Crawford (eds.), The Future of UN Human Rights Treaty Monitoring (CUP) 2000
• Philip Alston and Mary Robinson (eds), Human Rights and Development: Towards Mutual Reinforcement (OUP) 2005
• Andrew Clapham, Human Rights Obligations of Non-State Actors (OUP) 2006
• Christian Tomuschat, Human Rights. Between Idealism and Realism (OUP) 2008
• Adam McBeth, Justine Nolan, Simon Rice, The International Law of Human Rights (OUP) 2011
• Michael Haas, International Human Rights, 2nd ed (Routledge) 2013

Key words search

International law; International human rights law; human rights; civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; United Nations