The course covers the most relevant topics of public international law, such as foundations and structures of international, sources of international law, the actors in the international legal system, the principles of jurisdiction and diplomatic protection, state responsibility, the peaceful settlement of disputes, the international regulation of the use of force, and the law of armed conflict. The course also branches out to some sister disciplines such as international criminal law, the law of the sea, and human rights.
Week 1 – What is International Law? Introduction and Historical Overview
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 1
- Karen Alter’s blog post on Ukraine and Russia – Has Putin broken international law? Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/05/opinion/alter-ukraine-international-law/index.html
- Excerpts from Anthonie Anghie, Imperialism, Sovereignty, and the Making of International Law, Cambridge University Press 2004.
Class 1: Introduction and historical developments
Class 2: Institutional framework, the functions, and the limitations of international Law
Week 2 – The Sources of International Law: Treaties and Customs
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 2 & 3
- Excerpts from LaGrand Case
Class 1: The law of the treaties and principles of interpretation
Class 2: International customs, jus cogens, and other sources
Week 3 – The Actors of International Law: Statehood
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 4
- Excerpts from ICJ advisory opinion on Kosovo
Class 1: What is a state? The case of Palestine
Class 2: Self-determination and recognition – The case of Kosovo
Week 4 – Jurisdiction and Sovereignty
Mandatory Readings:
- James Crawford, Brownlie’s Principles of Public International Law (8th edition), Chapter 22
- Excerpts from Arrest Warrant case
Class 1: Jurisdiction and acquisition of sovereignty
Class 2: The exercise of universal jurisdiction
Week 5 – Immunities of Foreign States and Consular Relations
Mandatory Readings:
- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch 6
- Excerpts from Hostages case
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: The Hostages case
Week 6 – International Dispute Settlement and the ICJ
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 8
- Excerpts from Nicaragua and Avena cases
Class 1: The International Court of Justice – institutional structure and jurisprudential developments
Class 2: The International Court of Justice -- jurisdiction and implementation
Week 7 – Regional Organizations and Other International Courts
Mandatory Readings:
- Karen Alter, The New Terrain of International Law: Courts, Politics, Rights, Ch. 1 and 4
Class 1: The global spread of international courts and the diffusion of European model
Class 2: Regional courts in Europe, Latin America and Africa
Week 8 – State Responsibility
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 7
- Excerpts from Hostages and Rainbow Warrior (PCA) cases
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: Jurisprudential developments
Week 9 – The International Regulation of the Use of Force
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 9 and 10
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: Case study
Week 10 – The Law of Armed Conflicts
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 11
- Excerpts from the ICJ advisory opinion on nuclear weapons
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: Nuclear weapons, drones and target killings
Week 11 – International Criminal Law and the ICC
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 12
- Leslie Vinjamuri: The International Criminal Court and the Paradox of Authority, 79 Law and Contemporary Problems (2016)
Class 1: The History of International Criminal Law and the ICC
Class 2: The backlash against the ICC
Week 12 – International Human Rights
Mandatory Readings:
- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 9
- Eyal Benvenisti, Margin of Appreciation, Consensus, and Universal Standards, 31 New York University Journal of International Law and Politics (1999)
Class 1: Institutional framework
Class 2: The European Court of Human Rights and the margin of appreciation
Week 13 – The International Law of the Sea and the ITLOS
Mandatory Readings:
- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 8
- Thomas Mensah, The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 11 Leiden Journal of International Law (1998)
Class 1: General issues on the law of the sea
Class 2: The International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea
Week 14 – Contemporary Debates and Conclusions
Week 1 – What is International Law? Introduction and Historical Overview
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 1
- Karen Alter’s blog post on Ukraine and Russia – Has Putin broken international law? Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/05/opinion/alter-ukraine-international-law/index.html
- Excerpts from Anthonie Anghie, Imperialism, Sovereignty, and the Making of International Law, Cambridge University Press 2004.
Class 1: Introduction and historical developments
Class 2: Institutional framework, the functions, and the limitations of international Law
Week 2 – The Sources of International Law: Treaties and Customs
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 2 & 3
- Excerpts from LaGrand Case
Class 1: The law of the treaties and principles of interpretation
Class 2: International customs, jus cogens, and other sources
Week 3 – The Actors of International Law: Statehood
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 4
- Excerpts from ICJ advisory opinion on Kosovo
Class 1: What is a state? The case of Palestine
Class 2: Self-determination and recognition – The case of Kosovo
Week 4 – Jurisdiction and Sovereignty
Mandatory Readings:
- James Crawford, Brownlie’s Principles of Public International Law (8th edition), Chapter 22
- Excerpts from Arrest Warrant case
Class 1: Jurisdiction and acquisition of sovereignty
Class 2: The exercise of universal jurisdiction
Week 5 – Immunities of Foreign States and Consular Relations
Mandatory Readings:
- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch 6
- Excerpts from Hostages case
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: The Hostages case
Week 6 – International Dispute Settlement and the ICJ
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 8
- Excerpts from Nicaragua and Avena cases
Class 1: The International Court of Justice – institutional structure and jurisprudential developments
Class 2: The International Court of Justice -- jurisdiction and implementation
Week 7 – Regional Organizations and Other International Courts
Mandatory Readings:
- Karen Alter, The New Terrain of International Law: Courts, Politics, Rights, Ch. 1 and 4
Class 1: The global spread of international courts and the diffusion of European model
Class 2: Regional courts in Europe, Latin America and Africa
Week 8 – State Responsibility
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 7
- Excerpts from Hostages and Rainbow Warrior (PCA) cases
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: Jurisprudential developments
Week 9 – The International Regulation of the Use of Force
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 9 and 10
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: Case study
Week 10 – The Law of Armed Conflicts
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 11
- Excerpts from the ICJ advisory opinion on nuclear weapons
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: Nuclear weapons, drones and target killings
Week 11 – International Criminal Law and the ICC
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 12
- Leslie Vinjamuri: The International Criminal Court and the Paradox of Authority, 79 Law and Contemporary Problems (2016)
Class 1: The History of International Criminal Law and the ICC
Class 2: The backlash against the ICC
Week 12 – International Human Rights
Mandatory Readings:
- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 9
- Eyal Benvenisti, Margin of Appreciation, Consensus, and Universal Standards, 31 New York University Journal of International Law and Politics (1999)
Class 1: Institutional framework
Class 2: The European Court of Human Rights and the margin of appreciation
Week 13 – The International Law of the Sea and the ITLOS
Mandatory Readings:
- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 8
- Thomas Mensah, The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 11 Leiden Journal of International Law (1998)
Class 1: General issues on the law of the sea
Class 2: The International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea
Week 14 – Contemporary Debates and Conclusions
Week 1 – What is International Law? Introduction and Historical Overview
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 1
- Karen Alter’s blog post on Ukraine and Russia – Has Putin broken international law? Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/05/opinion/alter-ukraine-international-law/index.html
- Excerpts from Anthonie Anghie, Imperialism, Sovereignty, and the Making of International Law, Cambridge University Press 2004.
Class 1: Introduction and historical developments
Class 2: Institutional framework, the functions, and the limitations of international Law
Week 2 – The Sources of International Law: Treaties and Customs
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 2 & 3
- Excerpts from LaGrand Case
Class 1: The law of the treaties and principles of interpretation
Class 2: International customs, jus cogens, and other sources
Week 3 – The Actors of International Law: Statehood
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 4
- Excerpts from ICJ advisory opinion on Kosovo
Class 1: What is a state? The case of Palestine
Class 2: Self-determination and recognition – The case of Kosovo
Week 4 – Jurisdiction and Sovereignty
Mandatory Readings:
- James Crawford, Brownlie’s Principles of Public International Law (8th edition), Chapter 22
- Excerpts from Arrest Warrant case
Class 1: Jurisdiction and acquisition of sovereignty
Class 2: The exercise of universal jurisdiction
Week 5 – Immunities of Foreign States and Consular Relations
Mandatory Readings:
- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch 6
- Excerpts from Hostages case
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: The Hostages case
Week 6 – International Dispute Settlement and the ICJ
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 8
- Excerpts from Nicaragua and Avena cases
Class 1: The International Court of Justice – institutional structure and jurisprudential developments
Class 2: The International Court of Justice -- jurisdiction and implementation
Week 7 – Regional Organizations and Other International Courts
Mandatory Readings:
- Karen Alter, The New Terrain of International Law: Courts, Politics, Rights, Ch. 1 and 4
Class 1: The global spread of international courts and the diffusion of European model
Class 2: Regional courts in Europe, Latin America and Africa
Week 8 – State Responsibility
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 7
- Excerpts from Hostages and Rainbow Warrior (PCA) cases
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: Jurisprudential developments
Week 9 – The International Regulation of the Use of Force
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 9 and 10
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: Case study
Week 10 – The Law of Armed Conflicts
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 11
- Excerpts from the ICJ advisory opinion on nuclear weapons
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: Nuclear weapons, drones and target killings
Week 11 – International Criminal Law and the ICC
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 12
- Leslie Vinjamuri: The International Criminal Court and the Paradox of Authority, 79 Law and Contemporary Problems (2016)
Class 1: The History of International Criminal Law and the ICC
Class 2: The backlash against the ICC
Week 12 – International Human Rights
Mandatory Readings:
- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 9
- Eyal Benvenisti, Margin of Appreciation, Consensus, and Universal Standards, 31 New York University Journal of International Law and Politics (1999)
Class 1: Institutional framework
Class 2: The European Court of Human Rights and the margin of appreciation
Week 13 – The International Law of the Sea and the ITLOS
Mandatory Readings:
- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 8
- Thomas Mensah, The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 11 Leiden Journal of International Law (1998)
Class 1: General issues on the law of the sea
Class 2: The International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea
Week 14 – Contemporary Debates and Conclusions
Week 1 – What is International Law? Introduction and Historical Overview
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 1
- Karen Alter’s blog post on Ukraine and Russia – Has Putin broken international law? Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/05/opinion/alter-ukraine-international-law/index.html
- Excerpts from Anthonie Anghie, Imperialism, Sovereignty, and the Making of International Law, Cambridge University Press 2004.
Class 1: Introduction and historical developments
Class 2: Institutional framework, the functions, and the limitations of international Law
Week 2 – The Sources of International Law: Treaties and Customs
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 2 & 3
- Excerpts from LaGrand Case
Class 1: The law of the treaties and principles of interpretation
Class 2: International customs, jus cogens, and other sources
Week 3 – The Actors of International Law: Statehood
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 4
- Excerpts from ICJ advisory opinion on Kosovo
Class 1: What is a state? The case of Palestine
Class 2: Self-determination and recognition – The case of Kosovo
Week 4 – Jurisdiction and Sovereignty
Mandatory Readings:
- James Crawford, Brownlie’s Principles of Public International Law (8th edition), Chapter 22
- Excerpts from Arrest Warrant case
Class 1: Jurisdiction and acquisition of sovereignty
Class 2: The exercise of universal jurisdiction
Week 5 – Immunities of Foreign States and Consular Relations
Mandatory Readings:
- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch 6
- Excerpts from Hostages case
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: The Hostages case
Week 6 – International Dispute Settlement and the ICJ
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 8
- Excerpts from Nicaragua and Avena cases
Class 1: The International Court of Justice – institutional structure and jurisprudential developments
Class 2: The International Court of Justice -- jurisdiction and implementation
Week 7 – Regional Organizations and Other International Courts
Mandatory Readings:
- Karen Alter, The New Terrain of International Law: Courts, Politics, Rights, Ch. 1 and 4
Class 1: The global spread of international courts and the diffusion of European model
Class 2: Regional courts in Europe, Latin America and Africa
Week 8 – State Responsibility
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 7
- Excerpts from Hostages and Rainbow Warrior (PCA) cases
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: Jurisprudential developments
Week 9 – The International Regulation of the Use of Force
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 9 and 10
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: Case study
Week 10 – The Law of Armed Conflicts
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 11
- Excerpts from the ICJ advisory opinion on nuclear weapons
Class 1: General principles
Class 2: Nuclear weapons, drones and target killings
Week 11 – International Criminal Law and the ICC
Mandatory Readings:
- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 12
- Leslie Vinjamuri: The International Criminal Court and the Paradox of Authority, 79 Law and Contemporary Problems (2016)
Class 1: The History of International Criminal Law and the ICC
Class 2: The backlash against the ICC
Week 12 – International Human Rights
Mandatory Readings:
- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 9
- Eyal Benvenisti, Margin of Appreciation, Consensus, and Universal Standards, 31 New York University Journal of International Law and Politics (1999)
Class 1: Institutional framework
Class 2: The European Court of Human Rights and the margin of appreciation
Week 13 – The International Law of the Sea and the ITLOS
Mandatory Readings:
- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 8
- Thomas Mensah, The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 11 Leiden Journal of International Law (1998)
Class 1: General issues on the law of the sea
Class 2: The International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea
Week 14 – Contemporary Debates and Conclusions