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Human Rights Law in Practice - Columbia NY Summer - LAWS3146

Faculty: Faculty of Law

School: Faculty of Law

Course Outline: See below

Campus: Sydney

Career: Undergraduate

Units of Credit: 6

EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)

Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 3

Enrolment Requirements:

Pre-requisite: Crime & Criminal Process (LAWS1021/JURD7121) & Criminal Laws (LAWS1022/JURD7122) OR Crim. Law 1 (LAWS1001/JURD7101) & Crim. Law 2 (LAWS1011/JURD7111). Co-requisite: Litigation 1 [LAWS2311/ JURD7211] OR Res. Civil Disp. (LAWS2371/JURD7271)

CSS Contribution Charge: 3 (more info)

Tuition Fee: See Tuition Fee Schedule

Further Information: See Class Timetable

View course information for previous years.

Description

This 12 day intensive summer school examines the operation of human rights law in practice in international, regional and domestic U.S. and Australian contexts. Based in New York, the course draws together leading U.S. and international human rights lawyers to provide cutting-edge case studies from U.S. courts, regional human rights commissions and the UN system. It also provides students with doctrinal foundations in international human rights law and its incorporation into domestic law, as well as an introduction to the U.S. Bill of Rights and civil rights law. The course includes case studies on current human rights issues relevant to both countries. It encourages students to critically reflect on the efficacy of key institutions, actors and strategies to promote and protect human rights at home and abroad. The program will include (subject to availability) field visits to the United Nations and other cultural institutions.

Recommended Prior Knowledge

None

Course Objectives

To gain an applied understanding of basic principles and sources of international human rights law and its international, regional and domestic enforcement frameworks;
To gain basic familiarity with the U.S. civil rights law framework, including the Bill of Rights, and how it compares with the Australian context;
Develop ability to critically analyse the efficacy of key institutions, actors and strategies to address contemporary human rights challenges in Australia and abroad;
Develop an appreciation of the structural, practical and ethical challenges of contemporary human rights legal practice.

Learning Outcomes

A candidate who has successfully completed this course should be able to:

Demonstrate familiarity with basic principles and sources of international human rights law and its international, regional and domestic enforcement frameworks;
Demonstrate a basic understanding of how human rights are protected withing the U.S. civil rights legal framework, including the role and limitations of the Bill of Rights and how it compares with the Australian context;
Engage in debate about contemporary human rights issues in the U.S. and Australia as informed by an understanding of the basic features and principles of both legal systems, as well as the international human rights framework;
Critically evaluate the efficacy of key institutions, actors and strategies that address specific contemporary human rights challenges in Australia and abroad;
Critically analyse Australian legal, political and institutional responses to human rights issues from comparative and international perspectives;
Demonstrate an awareness of the structural, practical and ethical challenges of contemporary human rights legal practice, and apply these in the context of particular issues or cases

Assessment

Class Participation 20%
Short answer question 10%
Research essay 70%

This assessment is subject to change - check the course outline for current version.

Course Texts

McBeth, Nolan & Rice,The International Law of Human Rights, OUP, 2011 (print or electronic version available)

Resources

A full up-to date reading list will be provided in the course outline.