Postgraduate Course: International Criminal Law (one semester) (LAWS11219)
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 | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course focuses on the study of selected foundational aspects of international and transnational criminal law and international co-operation in the administration of justice. |
| Course description |
The course will be taught through seminars, which include introductions to key topics of relevance to international criminal law and general discussion, including on particular case studies. The seminars will thus cover aspects such as the sources of international criminal law, the structure of international crimes (in particular actus reus, mens rea and justifications), but also specific crime categories (in particular, genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes).
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the basic principles of crime and criminality at the international-law level;
- Develop their problem-solving skills by exploring problems which are not specifically covered in the course assignments. Existing knowledge will therefore have to be applied to novel situations;
- Evidence generic cognitive skills, which will be required when reading expositions of basic legal arguments and case judgments, and then critically assessing their merits.
- Utilise their communication skills in the form of participation in seminar discussions. The course is not to be a mere setting out of knowledge by the teacher, but rather an interactive process involving the students. Consequently, students that fail to participate as expected will not gain any benefit, and the value of them taking the course will inevitably be compromised.
- Work autonomously when required, in the form of independent research and writing for the essay component of the course.
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Reading List
Gerhard Werle / Florian Jessberger, Principles of International Criminal Law, 4th edn OUP 2020
Behrens / Henham (ed), Elements of Genocide (Routledge 2012)
Robert Cryer, An Introduction to International Criminal Law and Procedure (CUP 4th edn 2019)
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
The students are to gain experience in the application of generic cognitive The course will develop students' abilities in handling the relevant sources and materials of international criminal law. Students should acquire evaluative skills which will be developed through practice of analysing academic opinion and materials in these fields and assessing their value, and participating in group seminar discussion. Students will also be able to acquire problem-solving techniques on issues in the areas studied.
Oral communication is developed in particular through work and debate in each seminar. |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 174 ) |
| Keywords | Crime under international law,jurisidiction,piracy,torture,prosecute or extradite,genocide |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Paul Behrens
Tel:
Email: P.Behrens@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Susanna Wickes
Tel:
Email: Susanna.Wickes@ed.ac.uk |
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