| Unit name | International Law I |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWD30101 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Murray |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This is an introductory unit in Public International Law which will give students the basic skills and knowledge required to study more specialist options in international law. The unit also stands alone as an overview of some foundational issues in international law. The unit considers a number of key inter-related questions: in particular, what is international law and why does it matter? To whom does it apply? Where are the rules of this legal order to be found, and how are they enforced? The unit is designed to make students think critically about the structure, sources and function of international law and the relevance of these issues to contemporary problems.
The topics to be considered include:
Use the following as your model By the end of the unit, a successful student will be able to explain:
a) the principles of international law;
b) the institutional structure of international law, the law-making and decision-making processes; and, in particular, the United Nations
c) international law and how it relates to national law
Students should be able to state the law accurately, to apply legal principles to problem case scenarios, and to think critically about ways in which the law could be reformed.
The examination includes both problem type and essay type questions, designed to assess both whether students were able to understand and apply the law across the breadth of the syllabus, and whether they were able to think critically about it.
Twenty lectures of one hour each and 8 tutorials of one hour each
One three-hour closed book examination in May/June, in which students answer 4 questions (at least one essay and at least one problem) from a choice of 9 or 10 questions.
