Postgraduate Course: International Environmental Law (LAWS11030)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | The principal aim of this course is to give students an understanding of contemporary developments in international law with regard to the protection of the environment and the sustainable utilisation of natural resources. Particular attention will be paid throughout the course to the processes of international law-making, regulation and institutional oversight. |
| Course description |
This course offers an introduction to international environmental law. It is suitable for beginners and it assumes no prior knowledge of the subject. This course will be taught by weekly seminars addressing key issues and trends in international environmental law. Students will be given reading assignments in advance and they will be expected to prepare for and take an active part in class discussion.
Seminars in semester one will address the development of international customary and treaty rules for the protection of the environment, the fundamental principles of international environmental law, the main duties borne by states in relation to the prevention of transboundary harm, the range of remedies available to address environmental damage, and the key features of multilateral environmental agreements, including dispute settlement and compliance mechanisms.
Seminars in semester two will survey the main treaties dealing with the protection of the environment, considering the scope, nature and substance of the rules contained therein. The precise content of the subjects addressed in semester two will vary from year to year, depending upon contemporary developments in international environmental law, but they will tend to address key issues relating to the regulation of hazardous substances, the conservation of biological diversity, the role of human rights in environmental protection, and the interaction between international environmental law and international economic law.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 32 |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
400
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
372 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Summative Assessment Components:
4000 Word Essay (40%)
4500 Word Essay (60%) |
| Feedback |
Students will have an opportunity to write a practice essay during the first semester. Feedback will be provided either through individual feedback or a group feedback session. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand of contemporary developments in international law with regard to the protection of the environment and the sustainable utilisation of natural resources;
- Understand the main law-making techniques used to develop international rules and principles relating to environmental protection;
- Interpret treaty provisions and apply them to particular factual circumstances;
- Read cases and identify the key points of the decision;
- Contribute to discussions and debates on the key issues and challenges in contemporary international environmental law.
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Reading List
| The main textbook used for this course will be A Boyle and C Redgwell, Birnie, Boyle and Redgwell¿s International Law and the Environment (4th edition, Oxford University Press 2021). |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
On completion of this course the student will have:
Skills and abilities in Research and Enquiry
- Find and contextualise key materials relating to international environmental law;
- Critically evaluate the opportunities and challenges presented by the international legal framework for the protection of the environment;
Skills and abilities in Personal and Intellectual Autonomy
- Work by themselves in order to complete assignments;
Skills and abilities in Communication
- Explain key concepts relating to international environmental law;
- Participate in debates about the effectiveness and challenges of international environmental law.
Skills and abilities in Personal Effectiveness
- Manage their time in order to complete assignments within set deadlines. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Michael Picard
Tel:
Email: m.picard@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Susanna Wickes
Tel:
Email: Susanna.Wickes@ed.ac.uk |
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