Postgraduate Course: Europe, Empire and the Law (LAWS11550)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course explores the past and present entanglement of law and empire in Europe. The course focuses primarily on the role of colonialism, imperialism, and decolonisation in the history of European integration and their ongoing influence on the law of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights. |
| Course description |
What role did law play in European empires? How did colonialism and imperialism inform the process of European integration? Has European law now been fully 'decolonised'? Or does it continue to preserve the legacies of European colonialism and imperialism to this day? In addressing these and related question, this course exposes students to a range of critical perspectives on European Union law, European human rights law, and the broader entanglement between law and empire in Europe and beyond. The first part of the course explores the historical relationship between law, colonialism, imperialism, and decolonisation in Europe and its empires. The second part of the course then examines the contemporary legacies of empire in substantive areas of European law.
Please note that classes for this course will be jointly taught with Honours level students. Although students at both levels will study the same course materials, assessments will be graded according to the relevant benchmark appropriate to the level of study.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 15 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The summative assessment will take the form of a 'decolonial judgment' (3,000 words; 60%) and accompanying commentary (2,000 words; 40%). Inspired by the Feminist Judgments projects (e.g. sfjp.law.ed.ac.uk), the decolonial judgment exercise invites students to draft an imaginary concurring or dissenting opinion in a case of their choosing at the European Court of Justice or the European Court of Human Rights, drawing on anti/decolonial principles. The accompanying commentary offers students an opportunity to contextualise the case and explain their approach to writing a decolonial judgment. |
| Feedback |
Students will receive oral feedback through interactive discussions during the weekly seminar. Written feedback will be provided through a formative assessment, which will take the form of a draft decolonial judgment (see summative assessment). |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the role of law in enabling and justifying European colonialism and imperialism
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the role of European colonialism, imperialism, and decolonisation in the history of European integration
- Critically assess and develop independent perspectives concerning the ongoing influence of European colonialism, imperialism, and decolonisation on European Union law and European human rights law
- Conduct independent research to find, contextualise and critically analyse primary legal sources, including treaties, legislation, and case law
- Construct, substantiate, and convey arguments orally and in legal writing
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Reading List
Weekly reading lists will be provided in advance of each seminar.
Key texts (available via the library) include:
Folúk¿¿ Adébísí, Decolonisation and Legal Knowledge (Bristol University Press 2023)
Megan Brown, The Seventh Member State (Harvard University Press 2022)
Marco Duranti, The Conservative Human Rights Revolution (Oxford University Press 2017)
Nadine El-Enany, (B)ordering Britain (Manchester University Press 2020)
Giuliano Garavani, After Empires (Oxford University Press 2012)
Peo Hansen and Stefan Jonsson, Eurafrica (Bloomsbury 2014)
Kalypso Nicolaïdis, Berny Sèbe and Gabrielle Maas (eds), Echoes of Empire (Bloomsbury 2014)
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research and Enquiry
¿ Analyse, synthesise, critically and methodically appraise thoughts to break down complex problems into manageable components
¿ Capability to evaluate information thoroughly; identifying assumptions, detecting false logic or reasoning and defining terms accurately
¿ Conduct research and enquiry into relevant issues, the collection and analysis of primary sources, synthesising and reporting
Personal and Intellectual Autonomy
¿ Be critically self-aware and self-reflective
¿ Thinking independently and creatively
¿ Developing higher-order thinking and sound reasoning
Communication
¿ Articulating and effectively explaining information orally and in writing
¿ Communicate and persuade, both orally and in writing
¿ Produce clear, structured written work |
| Keywords | Empire,colonialism,imperialism,European Union law,European Convention on Human Rights |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Timothy Jacob-Owens
Tel:
Email: tjacobo@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Susanna Wickes
Tel:
Email: Susanna.Wickes@ed.ac.uk |
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