This module will deal with one of the most important, and controversial areas of contemporary international and criminal law, international crimes. In the past decades, the subject has moved from being a largely-overlooked specialism to a major area of study, and of practical relevance. This module will cover both the institutions and substantive law applicable to international crimes to give a broad introduction to this fascinating area of study. The module aims to investigate the nature and scope of international criminal law, its sources and some appropriate analytical frameworks. It will cover topics that may include:
The birth of modern international criminal law
The Nuremberg and Tokyo International Military .
Tribunals after the Second World War.
The international criminal tribunals including the International Criminal Trubunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
The ‘internationalised’ tribunals in Sierra Leone and Cambodia.
The International Criminal Court (ICC).
The substantive criminal law, including the ‘core crimes’ of genocide, crimes against humanity, aggression and war crimes.
Domestic prosecution of international crimes.
Alternative mechanisms for international crimesContemporary issues for international criminal law.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Explain key aspects of international criminal law and the international criminal justice system
Analyse the ways in which international human rights law standards can be met by the law and mechanisms covered in this module
Summarise and comment upon the current academic and policy debates on the matters covered in the module.
Evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of the different mechanisms designed to achieve accountability
Apply the knowledge acquired in the module to new situations and recognise the potential for alternative conclusions
Bring together and present coherently materials from primary and secondary sources which deal with the issues addressed in the module.
Make a personal and reasoned judgements about the material covered in the module
Participate appropriately in academic debate on matters covered in the module, presenting specialist material in writing in a manner which is appropriate to the audience.
Assessment
24550-01 : Take Home Exam : Exam (School Arranged) - Open Book (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions
Assessments: Take home exam (open-book) - 3hrs (100%)
