General entry requirements + English 6

The aim of the course is for the students to acquire a basic understanding of public international law and its functions in international politics. The focus of the course is public international law and international politics related to issues of peace and security. Furthermore, students will obtain an understanding of the role of international law before, during and after international conflicts. In addition, students will gain insight to the functions of the United Nations and international tribunals in situations related to peace and security.

The course contains the following modules:

Module 1: The UN Charter and Collective Security (7,5 credits)

The first module introduces the legal and political context of the United Nation’s Charter and its normative base for collective peace and international security. The module contains a historic overview of the development of the just war tradition up until the creation of the UN and its charter at the end of the Second World War. The module also deals with the UN’s decision-making machinery in post-Second World War politics and how the charter is implemented and interpreted by states in their international relations.

Module 2: Humanitarian Law (7,5 credits)

The second module introduces international humanitarian law and its legal regulations and principles, its interpretation and application in armed conflict. A war is subject to international legal regulations and principles, with regards to the right to go to war (jus ad bellum) and how to conduct as just war (jus in bello), the so-called laws of war or humanitarian law. Humanitarian law focuses on the protection of individuals in conflict and the conduct of war. Hence, the module is focusing on humanitarian law and it’s the legal and political implementation and consequences on states and individuals.

Module 3: The Legal and Political Consequences of War- Mock trial (15 credits)

The third module’s focus is international criminal law and its role in international politics. International criminal law is the last developed part of the just war doctrine, jus post bellum, and deals with how to create justice after conflict. This is done by introducing the students to international criminal law as field from a legal, historical and political perspective. For the students to be able to get a holistic understanding of international criminal law the module is divided into two parts. The first part introduces the students to the theoretical and generic knowledge needed to get an understanding of the prerequisites and application of international criminal law. The second part of the module consist of a role play in the form of a mock trial in which the students by acting as parties in a trial get to practically apply the knowledge and skills acquired from Part I. The two parts are to an extent run parallel.

Part I of the third module deals with the aftermath of armed conflict on both states and individuals (jus post bellum). The module introduces and gives an historic background to international criminal law as the basis for prosecution and sentencing of individuals responsible for serious international crimes, as well as how international criminal law is connected to public international law, national law and politics. The module also deals with the legal framework of different tribunals and international judiciary systems established to deal with international crimes. Furthermore, the module presents what constitutes and is defined as an international crime and how states interact politically in order to implement the international criminal legal sources in and the challenges this entail.

Part II consists of a project work where students work together in groups. The assignment of the module is to investigate and analyse an international dispute, both from a legal and political perspective. The groups are beforehand assigned a specific party to the conflict from which perspective they are to prepare and present a standpoint, including legal arguments and case based on the relevant political and historical context. The teaching form of this module is supervision.

The course consists of three modules with the following learning outcomes:

The UN Charter and Collective Security (7.5credits)

After completing the module, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the historical development of the just war tradition.

2. Explain and demonstrate knowledge of the functions and contents of public international law and the implementation of the UN Charter in international politics in issues relating to international peace and security.

3. Explain the contents of the UN Charter and demonstrate knowledge of the workings of the UN machinery with regards to its work and relevance for the maintenance of international peace and security.

4. Attend and actively participate in seminars

Humanitarian Law (7.5 credits)

After completing the module, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of humanitarian law.

2. Demonstrate an ability to understand the relationship between the implementation of public international law and international politics with regards to different armed conflicts.

3. Attend and actively participate in seminars.

The Legal and Political Consequence of War- Mock Trial (15 credits)

After completing the module, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the historical, political and legal development of international criminal law.

2. Demonstrate an understanding for basic international criminal law and international regulations regarding law enforcement and judicial decisions.

3. Demonstrate an ability to analyse and critically assess a case or court ruling from a legal and political perspective.

4. Demonstrate an ability to, in a group, investigate and analyse an international dispute from a legal and political perspective, and to present this analysis orally and in written form, in a logical and coherent manner.

5. Demonstrate an ability to take a party’s position in an international dispute and to argue this position and party’s views

6. Demonstrate an ability to assess and to suggest a solution to the international dispute from a legal and political perspective, and to be able to identify consequences of the dispute settlement.

7. Attend and actively participate in supervised sessions and group work.

The teaching activities in modules 1-2 are mainly in the form of lectures, seminars, and workshops. A major part of the work consists of independent studies. Students are responsible for reading in conjunction with the teaching and to come well prepared to lectures and seminars. The students are presumed to pursue their own reading and discussion groups and to actively participate in discussions, which require preparations. The modules are dependent on student active learning that requires students to participate and be active in seminar groups as well as preparing and attending presentations for seminars.

During the third module, supervised sessions are held, where students receive supervision of their project work. In addition, to the mandatory project sessions the students are assumed to meet regularly in the working groups on the students' own initiative. The group is collectively responsible for the group assignment and that all group members participate and contribute to the project.

Module 1: Learning outcomes 2-4 are examined by participation in seminars (2 credits) and learning outcomes 1-3 are examined by a home exam (5.5credits)

Module 2: Learning outcomes 1-3 are examined by participation in seminars (2 credits) and learning outcomes 1-2 are examined by an oral exam (5.5credits).

Module 3: Learning outcomes 1-2 is examined by an home exam (3.5 credits), learning outcomes 1-3 is examined by participation in a debate (2 credits), learning outcomes 1-3 is examined by an individual debate memorandum (2 credits), learning outcomes 2-6 are examined by an oral presentation (3 credits) and a written report (3credits), learning outcome 7 is examined by participation and attendance in supervision sessions (1.5 credits).

The examinations test the achievements of the learning outcomes of the different modules. Written assignments shall be correct in terms of language and shall satisfy the ordinary requirements regarding reference handling. Detailed information and instructions regarding the examinations as well as grade requirements will be presented at the course introduction.

Students who do not pass the regular course exams have the minimum of two retakes. Retakes follow the same form as the original exams, apart from retakes of group work, which take the form of individual written and oral assignments.

The University provides students who participate in or who have completed a course with the opportunity to make known their experiences and viewpoints with regards to the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarize the results of course evaluations as well as informing participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures initiated in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

If a course is no longer offered or has undergone major changes, students will be offered two re-take sessions based on the syllabus in force at registration during a period of one year from the date of the implementation of the changes.