LLM Human Rights and International Law

30 credits

This module sets to provide you with the requisite a comprehensive examination of contemporary international law and the evolving framework of global regulation.

It is designed to provide you with indepth knowledge of the characteristics of the legal system, an overview of its regulatory purview and its sources (treaties, customary law), the relationship between international law and national law, legal personality and the actors on the international legal arena, as well as the key legal principles governing their activities (jurisdiction, responsibility, and immunities).

You will be equipped with a critical understanding of how international legal norms are developed, implemented, and enforced across various jurisdictions. You will engage with key topics such as the role of international organisations, the intersection of national and international law, human rights, environmental regulation, and trade law.

Through a combination of lectures, seminars, and case studies, you will examine how global challenges such as climate change, terrorism, and human migration are addressed within the international legal framework. The module will also focus on the skills necessary for effective analysis and application of international law, including legal reasoning, advocacy, and negotiation.

By the end of this module, you will be able to critically assess the effectiveness of international law in regulating global issues, understand the complexities of legal interactions between states and non-state actors, and develop your own perspectives on contemporary legal challenges. The knowledge and skills gained will prepare you for a career in law, international relations, public policy, and related fields.

Teaching and learning

The delivery of this module consists of one, two-hour lecture and a two-hour lecture each week.

Lectures will cover core topics and knowledge and are aimed at building a core understanding of the foundations of the international legal system and developing the analytical skills needed to formulate and support an international legal argument to help prepare you, within your respective degree programme, for research you will undertake in this and other modules. 

Workshops will provide an opportunity to examine case studies.

Assessment

This module will be assessed by a literature review and essay plan (30%) and a research report (70%).

30 credits

This module provides comprehensive introduction to international human rights law through integrated examination of its theoretical foundations, historical development, and contemporary practice.

Understanding human rights requires more than knowledge of legal instruments; it demands appreciation of philosophical debates about human nature and dignity, historical struggles for recognition and protection, and practical challenges of implementation across diverse legal, political, and cultural systems. This module serves as essential preparation for advanced human rights studies and provides intellectual framework for critical engagement with contemporary human rights challenges.

The module begins by exploring historical, philosophical and structural aspects of human rights, including Enlightenment perspectives, theories of rights/history of rights theory, universalism/relativism debates, sovereignty and non-intervention concerns and other structural issues pertinent to international law and relations. Examining the UN parameters, regional and domestic frameworks and principal international mechanisms ensures a good understanding of the institutional and legal frameworks in which human rights discourses are located.

The module then provides important critical elaboration and analysis of the normative frameworks in which human rights operate, with particular attention drawn to examining the effect of lacunae/silences in human rights discourse on communities and practices, and on debates about the nature and applicability of human rights.

The module further sets the scene for the course through examination of contemporary issues/political sociology of human rights, covering a range of questions to be explored in later modules. 

Teaching and learning

The delivery of this module consists of one, two-hour lecture and a two-hour lecture each week.

Lectures will cover foundational knowledge and introduce key concepts and theories in international human rights law, while workshops will consist of discussion and deeper analysis of specific historical events, legal documents, and contemporary issues.  

Assessment

This module will be assessed by an analytical essay (50%) and a case study report (50%).

30 credits

This module bridges the gap between theoretical human rights law and its practical implementation, focusing on the mechanisms, strategies, and challenges involved in protecting human rights, enforcing legal obligations, and conducting effective advocacy.

In an era of increasing human rights challenges globally, practitioners require sophisticated understanding of how rights are protected in practice, how enforcement mechanisms operate, and how effective advocacy can create meaningful change.

The module combines doctrinal analysis with practical skills development, preparing you for careers in human rights law, advocacy organisations, international institutions, and government service. It aims to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to engage effectively with human rights issues in practice.

Teaching and learning

The delivery of this module consists of one, two-hour lecture and a two-hour lecture each week.

Lectures will cover principles and legal framework, while workshops will consist of a focus on strategic litigation on the principles in the lecture in order to illustrate the application of the issues at stake and how they were legally approached by judges.

Assessment

This module will be assessed by a bibliographical essay (50%) and a case commentary report (50%).

30 credits

This module critically examines the contemporary challenges facing human rights in the global context. It addresses the impact of globalisation, technological advancements, political shifts, and environmental crises on the protection and promotion of human rights.

You will explore specific issues such as migration, surveillance, freedom of expression, and climate change, analysing how these challenges affect the realisation of human rights for individuals and communities worldwide.

Teaching and learning

The delivery of this module consists of one, two-hour lecture and a two-hour lecture each week.

Lectures will cover foundational knowledge and introduce key concepts related to contemporary human rights challenges, while workshops will facilitate discussions and deeper analysis of specific issues, encouraging critical thinking and debates.

Assessment

This module will be assessed by a blog (70%) and a group presentation (30%).

30 credits

The laws of war, also known as international humanitarian law (IHL) or the law of armed conflict (LOAC), constitute one of the most critical and challenging areas of international law. In an era of evolving conflict dynamics, technological advancement in warfare, and complex humanitarian crises, understanding the legal frameworks governing armed conflict has never been more important.

This module aims to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the legal frameworks governing armed conflict, including international humanitarian law and human rights law.

It explores the principles that regulate the conduct of hostilities, the protection of individuals during warfare, and the legal accountability for war crimes. The module fits within the broader context of legal studies by equipping you with the critical skills necessary to analyse complex legal issues in contemporary conflicts, enhancing your academic and professional profiles in law, human rights, and international relations.

Teaching and learning

The delivery of this module consists of one, two-hour lecture and a two-hour lecture each week.

Lectures introduce core topics and theoretical and practical knowledge and develop, through a systematic survey of recurring and perennial issues, critical assessment of the law-in-operation. To that end, lectures draw on a variety of sources including core textbooks, periodical literature, primary sources (government and UN documents, NGO reports) and various media (documentaries, news media, etc).

Workshops will bring acquired knowledge of theory and practice to bear on the consideration and illustration of the operation of the law, through practical exercises aimed at developing skills in two key areas faced by humanitarian law professionals: humanitarian assistance and its dilemmas and the knowhow of humanitarian advocacy.

Assessment

This module will be assessed by a policy brief (30%) and a research essay (70%).

60 credits

This capstone module draws together the knowledge and skills covered in the autumn and spring terms to allow you to demonstrate your knowledge, research and analytical skills in the field of international human rights.

The purpose of this module is to enable you to synthesise the knowledge, understanding and skills that you have learned during the course of the LLM programme to produce an original piece of research.

You will develop advanced research skills, critical analytical abilities, and scholarly writing capabilities while exploring contemporary challenges in human rights protection within the international legal framework.

Teaching and learning

This module is led by you, supported by supervision sessions with a tutor who has expertise within the chosen field. The role of the tutor will be to support you in the following areas:

• Identifying and formulating research problems and research questions
• Finding and assessing academic sources
• Formulating a research argument
• Designing and structuring research
• Producing analysis, drawing conclusions, and honing writing skills
• Using and citing academic sources; preparing a bibliography
• Introduction to research degrees

There are personal milestones that you need to reach, such as submitting your ethics application and submitting drafts to your supervisor.

Assessment

This module will be assessed by a legal briefing (30%) and a research report (70%).