THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Law : Law

Postgraduate Course: Human (In)Security (LAWS11425)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Law CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course explores the variable issues that raise personal security concerns for human beings. Through the lens of human dignity, contemporary issues that challenge individuals¿ ability to exercise their human rights will be examined in the context of political dysfunction, terrorism, conflict and anthropogenic impact.
Course description Each of the issues covered by the course will be tethered to the relevant international laws and current affairs and students will be required to engage in critical analysis of both the laws, their application and the practicalities of implementation in contemporary global society.

Various subjects covered by the course include: non-implementation of human rights obligations; forced migration; human trafficking; modern slavery; terrorism; climate crisis; etc.

Provisional Seminar Outline:

1 Human Insecurity and the Concept of Dignity
2 Equality and the Law
3 Human Rights and Terrorism I
4 Human Rights and Terrorism II
5 Human Rights and Humanitarian Law I
6 Human Rights and Humanitarian Law II
7 Human Trafficking & Modern Slavery I
8 Human Trafficking & Modern Slavery II
9 Human Rights in an Endangered Environment I
10 Human Rights in an Endangered Environment II

Please note that other seminar topics will be filtered in and out of the class, including: Torture, Arbitrary Detention, Freedom of Expression, etc.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the principle theories and concepts underpinning human rights law;
  2. Evidence a critical awareness of the current issues related to human rights on the micro and macro levels;
  3. Thoroughly understand how questions of human insecurity sit in the broader context of international law and national law and policy development.
Reading List
Journal articles will be the primary assigned readings.

The following is an indicative list of journal titles, to which the library already holds a subscription:

American Journal of International Law
Canadian Human Rights Yearbook
Columbia Human Rights Law Review
Harvard Human Rights Journal
Harvard International Law Journal
Human Rights Case Digest
Human Rights Law Review
Human Rights Quarterly
European Journal of International Law
European Journal of International Relations
International and Comparative Law Quarterly
International Journal of Constitutional Law
International Journal of Human Rights
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills On completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Skills and Abilities in Research and Enquiry
- Plan and execute a research project and discuss it in a group setting;
- Demonstrate a development in their critical research skills;
- Demonstrate an advanced practical application of the law through completion of both group projects and
individual research.

Skills and Abilities in Personal and Intellectual Autonomy
- Exercise personal autonomy and professional delivery of research findings through the completion of individually assessed work.

Skills and Abilities in Communication
- Communicate complex legal issues to a range of audiences, including non-legal audiences;
- Demonstrate advanced written and oral communication of complex legal issues.

Skills and Abilities in Personal Effectiveness
- Plan and execute a research project utilising practice-relevant materials.

Technical/Practical skills
- Implement critical legal analysis;
- Identify and conceptualise contemporary problems and issues in terms of law and the pressures of societal opinion;
- Navigate international jurisprudence databases, particularly the UN Human Rights documents databases.
KeywordsHuman Rights,International,Law,Security,Level 11,Postgraduate
Contacts
Course organiserDr Kasey McCall-Smith
Tel: (0131 6)51 4524
Email: kasey.mccall-smith@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Chloe Culross
Tel: (0131 6)50 9588
Email: Chloe.Culross@ed.ac.uk
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