Actualités et agenda
Nos formations
Présentation
The course aims to provide students with a basic understanding of the logics and main principles of public international law. International law, as its name indicates, is the law that applies in the relations between (inter-) the States (-‘nation’). It is therefore not a branch of domestic law – like commercial, constitutional or yet family law – and, indeed, differs from it in many ways. Its main characteristic probably lies in the fact that the international legal order lacks a single central authority capable of ensuring universal respect for rules. It operates in a horizontal rather than vertical fashion. As a result, not only are States the main subjects of international law, but also its main guardians. This seemingly paradoxical situation is the source of most of the particularities that surround the making, the practice as well as the logics of international law. The course will seek to familiarize students with these particularities and with the content of the most important rules of international law. The purpose is to make sure that they acquire the necessary (legal) tools to critically assess and analyse how the international (legal) system works.
Session 1 - 12 January 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Course introduction
· Welcome quiz
· What is international law?
Part 1. International law in a changing world
Session 2 - 19 January 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Is international law really “law”?
· Is international law really “international”?
Part 2. The sources of international law
Session 3 - 26 January 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Why do the sources of international law matter?
· Traditional sources of international law (1): treaties
Session 4 - 2 February 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Traditional sources of international law (2): custom
· Contemporary sources of international law
Part 3. The subjects of international law
Session 5 - 9 February 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· States
· The Right of all peoples to self-determination
Session 6 - 23 February 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Individuals
· International organizations
Part 4. International law and the use of force by states
Session 7 - 2 March 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· From the “just war” to the United Nations
· Interventions
Session 8 - 9 March 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Terrorism and international law
· Cyber warfare
Part 5. International law and protection
Session 9 - 16 March 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Development and scope of protection of international humanitarian law
· Armed conflicts and the conduct of hostilities
Session 10 - 23 March 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· The nature and development of international human rights law
· The UN system
[Feedback on the midterm]
Part 7. International law and responsibility
Session 11 - 30 March 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· State responsibility
· The treatment of aliens
· The protection of foreign property and investments
Session 12 - 6 April 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Individual criminal responsibility
· International criminal courts and tribunals
Session 1 - 12 January 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Course introduction
· Welcome quiz
· What is international law?
Part 1. International law in a changing world
Session 2 - 19 January 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Is international law really “law”?
· Is international law really “international”?
Part 2. The sources of international law
Session 3 - 26 January 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Why do the sources of international law matter?
· Traditional sources of international law (1): treaties
Session 4 - 2 February 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Traditional sources of international law (2): custom
· Contemporary sources of international law
Part 3. The subjects of international law
Session 5 - 9 February 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· States
· The Right of all peoples to self-determination
Session 6 - 23 February 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Individuals
· International organizations
Part 4. International law and the use of force by states
Session 7 - 2 March 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· From the “just war” to the United Nations
· Interventions
Session 8 - 9 March 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Terrorism and international law
· Cyber warfare
Part 5. International law and protection
Session 9 - 16 March 2023 - 11am-1pm:
· Development and scope of protection of international humanitarian law
·
Modalités
The course will try, as much as possible, to draw illustration from current international
events and push students to use the rules and principles of law expounded during the course to
analyse them. Although it will take a classic ex-cathedra form the classes will try, as much as possible, to open space up for discussion and debate.
Power-points for each lecture, including recommended readings, will be posted on i-Campus.
The evaluation process will be three fold:
(1) In the first place, students will be evaluated through travaux dirigés (40% of the final grade).
(2) In the second place,students will be evaluated through a mid-term exam (10% of the final grade). This exam will take the form of multiple choice questions.
(3) Finally, the evaluation will take the form of a written exam (50% of the final grade).
The exam will be divided into two parts. The first part will consist in multiplechoice
questions. None, some or all the proposed answers might be correct. Students will have to
justify their answer in a short paragraph. No negative points will be applied for incorrect answers,
but unjustified answers will not be corrected. The second part of the exam will
consist in a small practical case inspired from current international events for which students will
have to put their theoretical knowledge into practice. The objective will be to assess whether they
are able to analyse and reflect on a concrete situation using international law.