Principles of International Law

Syllabus, September 2024

I. Aim and Scope of the Course

This course has been designed with a view to providing a solid foundation in the fundamentals of public international law. It is assumed that students do not necessarily possess prior legal education or knowledge in public international law. On this assumption, the purpose of this course is two-fold: first, to introduce knowledge of general principles; secondly, to showcase the foundational structures of international law in light of leading and contemporary cases and international disputes. Special attention is placed on the training of students’ skills in finding and applying legal sources in real international cases.

The course will cover traditional international law doctrines (such as subjects, law making, normative interactions, responsibility, enforcement and mechanisms to settle disputes and induce compliance) with an emphasis on contemporary pressures on each of them. Upon successful completion, students will acquire a solid background of the rules, techniques, and practices that shape the fundamental structure of international law and the dynamics of its evolution. They will also acquire the necessary skills to expand and sharpen their knowledge of international law in specific fields, including but not limited to international economic law and private international law.

II. Format of the Course

It consists of twelve lectures taught by the lecturer and  three sessions of discussion and student presentations. Each lecture or session lasts for three hours including short breaks.

III. Topics and Materials for the Course

IV. Assessment of the Course

Students of this course will be assessed according to the following components.

Attendance:                  20% (2 points for missing each lecture)

Class participation:      10%  (awarded  based  on  students’  performance  during  classes,  e.g.

demonstration of good preparation with reading materials, structured thinking, advocacy skills, etc.)

Presentation:                20% (see below for details)

Final Paper:                  50% (see below for details)

Guidelines for Presentation

All participants of this course will be divided into groups. Each group will choose a topic for presentation which could last no more than 25 minutes on a previously agreed date. The presentation will be followed by a short Q&A and any member of the group may answer questions posed by the audience. The presentation and Q&A performance both inform. the grading. Each student is graded individually. This component is particularly designed to train the advocacy skills of students. After this practice, students should become more familiar with the style. and manner of communication in an academic setting.

Grade Factors for Presentation

- presentation style.

- structure of the presentation

- engagement with and understanding of the content of original paper

- quality of the questions asked

- ability to answer questions and defend thesis/argument presented

Guidelines for Final Paper

- written in English

- 3000 words max. including footnotes

- submitted electronically in Word format by 31 December (23h59 at the latest) on Moodle; a printed copy may be submitted at the office door of R761 if you wish to receive some feedbacks

- Plagiarism will be checked and is considered a serious offense

- NB: you should start working on the paper early and you may also submit early. Given this flexibility, it is your own responsibility if you start late and take the risk of being confronted with unforeseen circumstances. 2 points will be deduced for each day after the deadline for submission.

Grade Factors for Final Paper

- originality of the selection of the topic and/or the angle taken by the paper

- soundness of the legal reasoning

- structure and writing style.

- research and referencing