Gwybodaeth Modiwlau

Module Identifier

LAM0620

Module Title

International Criminal Law

Academic Year

2021/2022

Co-ordinator

Dr Olaoluwa Olusanya

Semester

Semester 1

Other Staff

Course Delivery

Assessment

Due to Covid-19 students should refer to the module Blackboard pages for assessment details

Assessment Type	Assessment length / details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT OF 6,000 WORDS	80%
Semester Assessment	ORAL PRESENTATION (SUPPORTED BY HANDOUT)	20%
Supplementary Assessment	WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT OF 6,000 WORDS TO BE RESUBMITTED, IF FAILED	80%
Supplementary Assessment	ORAL PRESENTATION (SUPPORTED BY HANDOUT) TO BE DELIVERED, IF FAILED	20%

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate comprehensive and accurate knowledge and understanding of those aspects of international criminal law identified in the indicative syllabus above and form a critical judgement on areas of controversy within the topics studied;
2. Describe and critically analyse the fundamental principles, practices and institutions of international criminal law;
3. Reflect critically upon the meanings, purposes and ideologies of international criminal law;
4. Understand and make use of a variety of research methodologies in international criminal law;
5. Understand a variety of theoretical perspectives which underpin international criminal law;
6. Read and study primary and secondary sources of the areas of law relating to international criminal law;
7. Critically analyse, interpret, evaluate and synthesise information from a variety of sources.

Brief description

This module considers modern international criminal law which was arose out of the aftermath of the atrocities of World War Two and the determination of the allied powers to prosecute Nazi war criminals in line with the Nuremberg Charter. This module considers institutions such as International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, their sources and the principles that create and underlie the substantive international criminal law these tribunals apply.

Content

This module consists of 10 ‘units’ on the following topics:
1. Background to the establishment of the Nuremberg and Tokyo International Military Tribunals; the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; the Special Court for Sierra Leone; the Iraqi Special Tribunal and the International Criminal Court.
2. Their legal basis and their jurisdiction: territorial, temporal and subject matter jurisdictions
3. Financing, location and other institutional aspects of the above institutions.
4. The legacy of the Nuremberg and Tokyo International Military Tribunals, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
5. Sources of the Crime of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity under international criminal law
6. Sources of War Crimes and the Crime of Aggression under international criminal law
7. Sources of the Crime of Terrorism under international law
8. Locating individual criminal responsibility within the context of mass atrocities and given different modes of participation in crimes
9. Official capacity and immunity: tensions between international criminal law and current general international law.
10. Grounds for excluding criminal responsibility: considering mitigating factors in the context of war.

Module Skills

Skills Type	Skills details
Application of Number
Communication	Assignment and oral presentation; participation with online discussion group
Improving own Learning and Performance	Studying the material and writing the assignment
Information Technology	Module requires the use of IT as a core resource for locating legal material
Personal Development and Career planning	Gaining confidence in legal thinking and analysis
Problem solving	Assignment and oral presentation
Research skills	The module seeks to further develop practical legal skills and a theoretical engagement with international criminal law
Subject Specific Skills	Apply generic skills to specific subjects of the theme through the assignment
Team work	Online discussion group

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7