This course deals with the body of law known as International Law or sometimes ‘Public International Law', as distinct from ‘Private International Law'. The field of International Law deals with many aspects of the functioning of the international community (including the relations of States with each other and with international organisations); it also affects many activities that occur within or across State boundaries (including the treatment by States of their citizens, environmental law, military operations, and many other areas). The impact of international law on the Australian legal system and the globalised nature of many governmental, judicial and social activities means that a basic knowledge of the terminology, institutions, and substance of international law is not only worthwhile acquiring in its own right, but is also a necessary part of the knowledge and skills of any law graduate.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
The learning outcomes of this course are to:
- introduce the basic concepts and terminology of public international law
- provide an overview of the processes by which international law is formed and the most important bodies and institutions involved in the international legal system
- introduce the international law relating to treaties, and to the use of force, and the relevance of those topics to current events
- introduce the interaction between the international legal system and the Australian legal system
- introduce various theoretical perspectives on the formation and operation of the international legal system
- show the relevance of international law to current political and social developments at the international and national levels
- provide an introduction to sources and methods of research in the field of international law.
By the end of the course students should have:
- a good understanding of the basic principles of international law and of the role of the United Nations in its development
- be able to research issues relating to customary international law
- have a good understanding of treaty law, the relationship between international law and Australian law, and the rules regulating the use of force in international relations
- should be familiar with the use of both on-line and traditional materials from international and national sources.
Other Information
This course offers a significant foundational framework for the study of: Advanced International Criminal Law, Law of the Sea, International Dispute Resolution, International Environmental Law, International Human Rights Law, International Trade Law, and any other specialised international law unit, and provides the substantial grounding needed for participation in the Jessup Moot LAWS3010.
Indicative Assessment
The proposed means of assessment for this course will provide students with the opportunity of undertaking at least two pieces of assessment, including one piece during the semester. An end of semester examination has been a regular means of assessment in recent years. More information about the means of assessment, including the relationship between the assessment and the learning outcomes of the course, will be available on the course home page by the first week of semester.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
In weeks 1-2 there will be one two-hour lecture and one one-hour lecture. In weeks 3-13 there will be one two-hour lecture and 1 hour tutorial. Students will generally need to devote about 10 hours on average per week to this course.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Information about prescribed texts will be made available in the course outline. See the course home page.
Preliminary Reading
The preliminary reading required for this course will be available from the course home page at least one week prior to the commencement of the course.
A reading guide will be available on the course web page.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 3
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $2958 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $4146 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1444 | 20 Jul 2015 | 07 Aug 2015 | 31 Aug 2015 | 30 Oct 2015 | In Person | N/A |
