Main aim(s) of the module:

The Module aims to provide students with an understanding of the way in which human rights are protected by international law. Students examine the origins of international protection of rights, the development of the current international legal order and the way in which that affects the protection of human rights within the state.

Learning Outcomes for the module
 

At the end of this module, students will be able to:

Knowledge
1. display knowledge of the existence and scope of modern international human rights standards and instruments
2. demonstrate familiarity with the major systems for the implementation of human rights and be able to assess the effectiveness of the different systems
3. engage with and critique the most important theoretical, academic and substantive debates in the area of human rights law
4. display an awareness of the issues of cultural, religious and other value systems in both the drafting and application of international human rights standards
5. display a detailed knowledge of several of the major substantive rights and the jurisprudence thereon

Thinking skills
6. demonstrate an understanding of the major areas of controversy within the substantive law
7. outline the major problems faced by human rights law and suggest varieties of ways in which the law might be able to be improve Subject-based practical skills
9. apply the international law to a variety of hypothetical situations and give advice to potential clients including the likelihood of success under different systems
10. engage in a variety of activities based on the knowledge acquired, such as role-play, presentation of argument, preparation of applications and the writing of reports

Skills for life and work (general skills)
11. Develop capacity for argumentation, critical reasoning and developing new approaches.
12. make use of a variety of research strategies and materials, including treaties, reports, caselaw, academic writing and Internet materials