Keele Badge

LAW-40042 - Module Specification
School of Law
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2023/24 Last Updated: 13 February 2024

LAW-40042 - Advanced International Law
Coordinator: Emma Allen Room: CBC2.005 Tel: +44 1782 7 34512
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 7
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733218

Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

Foundations of International Law (Semester 1)

Barred Combinations

N/A

Description for 2023/24

This advanced module in public international law is intended to provide you with an opportunity to thoroughly analyse core areas of international law encountered on the Foundations of International Law module, including the law of treaties, the creation/disappearance of states and state responsibility.
In addition, you will be given the chance to explore some specialist areas and/or current debates in international law that you have (hopefully) been unable otherwise to encounter as part of your postgraduate studies. These are likely to vary from year to year but could include, for instance, the law of the sea.

Aims
The aim of this module is to build upon the Foundations of International Law module. It will provide students with an opportunity to acquire a more in-depth and critical understanding of the nature, function and development of public international law.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Critically evaluate substantive areas of international law studied within the module: 1,2
Critically consider at an advanced level the various successes and shortcomings of international law: 1,2
Offer a critical judgment on the role of law and its limits in ordering international relations: 1,2
Create written presentations on complex questions of international law which are clear and logically structured: 1
Analyse complex international disputes in terms of applicable legal rules and propose arguable solutions: 2

Study hours

Seminars: 10 hours
Seminar Preparation: 70 hours
Online Portfolio: 20 hours
Exam Preparation: 50 hours

School Rules

N/A

Description of Module Assessment

1: Portfolio weighted 50%
Multipart Online Portfolio
Each substantive teaching week (i.e. Weeks 2-11), students will be presented with an online assignment based on that week¿s material. They will select 5 of these assignments to answer and compile into a portfolio, which will be submitted at the end of the semester (i.e. Week 12). Each assignment should be approximately 500 words and demonstrate a critical understanding of the issues raised. The overall word limit is 2500 words.

2: Open Book Examination weighted 50%
28-Hour Online Open Book Exam
The online open book exam will require students to write a legal memo on the international law issues raised in a complex fictitious scenario. The time available to complete the exam and to submit it electronically is 28 hours ¿ from 9am (local time) on the first working day until 1pm (local time) on the second working day. However, students are not expected to invest more than 8 hours of active working time on the exam. The word limit is 1500 words.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 13 February 2024