Applying International Human Rights Law - LAW00007M
Module summary
Where do human rights come from and how are they protected under international law? Who are the rights-holders and the duty-bearers? Can the enjoyment of human rights be limited and if so, under what circumstances? What protection mechanisms exist and how can victims of human rights violations make use of them? This module will enable you to answer these questions by immersing you into the law and practice of international human rights.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2025-26 |
Module aims
This module will immerse you into the law and practice of international human rights. It aims to enable you to understand and engage critically with the histories and theories of human rights, the sources of international human rights law (IHRL), categories of rights and typologies of human rights obligations, and mechanisms for human rights protection.
Relying on innovative approaches to legal teaching and learning, Applying International Human Rights Law integrates flipped classroom seminars and a moot scenario that simulates the proceedings before an international human rights mechanism. These provide you with hands-on opportunities to explore selected human rights in complex legal situations. In addition to substantive knowledge of human rights law and practice, you can expect to develop your analytical and critical thinking, teamwork abilities, and independent research skills.
Module learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, you should be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the history and theories of human rights, the sources of international human rights law, categories of human rights and typologies of obligations;
- Develop the ability to interpret human rights treaties and apply their provisions to critique violations of human rights;
- Critically assess the work of human rights protection mechanisms (in particular case law), as well as the mechanisms’ strengths and weaknesses;
- Undertake independent research with minimal guidance, by among others, locating primary and secondary legal sources, synthesising and critically analysing their content, and using this research to present a coherent legal argument orally and in writing.
Module content
Lectures and seminars will include the following topics:
- History and theories of international human rights law.
- Sources of international human rights law.
- Rights-holders and categories of human rights.
- Duty-bearers and typologies of human rights obligations.
- Reservations, derogations, limitations.
- Remedies for human rights violations.
- International, regional and domestic protection mechanisms.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100.0 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100.0 |
Module feedback
Input, feedback and formative assessment
In this module, formative assessment will be provided in lectures and seminars Q&A sessions, ‘flipped classroom’ exercises and a moot oral pleading exercise through input and feedback by the tutor and student peers. Formative assessment aims to allow us to improve our knowledge base and develop new skills – it is not marked.
Feedback on the essay
Feedback on the essay will be provided in writing. Students may wish to attend the tutor's feedback and guidance session for further guidance.
Indicative reading
In this module, we shall draw extensively on two human rights textbooks :
- Daniel Moeckli, Sangeeta Shah and Sandesh Sivakumaran (eds.) International Human Rights Law (4thedition, OUP 2022).
- Olivier de Schutter, International Human Rights Law: Cases, Materials, Commentary (3rd edition, CUP 2019).
We shall engage critically with a wide range of material: treaties, case law and soft law instruments, academic articles, book chapters, reports by United Nations mechanisms and non-governmental organisations, blog posts and podcasts.