3 OCTOBER 2019: DEAR STUDENTS - I AM IN THE PROCESS OF UPLOADING THE MATERIALS FOR THIS COURSE WHICH STARTS NEXT WEEK - PLEASE CHECK AGAIN - THE NEW COURSE MATERIALS WILL BE UPLOADED IN THE COURSE OF TODAY/TOMORROW

 This compulsory module aims to provide students with an analytical, critical and contextual introduction to international human rights law. It includes both international and regional norms, institutions and processes, as well as some issues arising from the national implementation of these norms. The course is designed to provide a solid legal foundation on the basis of which students will pursue their more specialised optional courses and human rights research.

While the scope and depth of the subject does not permit LW901 to cover all relevant issues, it aims to familiarise students with the major contemporary features and debates within international human rights law. Further, it provides students with an opportunity to develop their analytical skills in relation to the international law of human rights.

The module covers the United Nations machinery for the promotion and protection of human rights; the major global human rights treaties; the regional systems of Europe, the Americas and Africa; universality and cultural relativism; the right to life; the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; the prohibition of enforced disappearance; equality and non- discrimination; religious intolerance; freedom of expression; the protection of minorities; fair trial; economic, social and cultural rights; states of emergency and counter-terrorism, state responsibility; accountability of non-state actors; freedom of association; right to food; right to health; human rights and development and national implementation of human rights commitments.

In addition to the LW901 lectures or whole group sessions, the course includes Discussion Groups (DGs). The emphasis here is on your participation. DGs are designed to examine in more depth some of the issues arising from, or related to, the weekly lectures by way of role-plays or discussions. Students are placed in four Discussion Groups. Discussion Groups do not run every week so please check the dates when they run in the timetable of the module. There are a total of eight DGs during the year. This is also a compulsory element of LW901.