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Unit Overview

Description

This is a compulsory foundation unit in the Master of International Law. The unit provides students with (1) an understanding of the sources of public international law and the distinctive features of international legal reasoning; (2) an overview of the historical, political and cultural context of international law; and (3) an ability to analyse questions of public international law and to evaluate arguments concerning public international law.

Students explore the distinctive features of international law, including ideas of international legal personality, the role of state consent as a basis for international law and the limitations on the potential for enforcement of international law. They also examine how international law interacts with domestic law. The international rules on jurisdiction and immunities are examined.

Credit
6 points
Offering
AvailabilityLocationMode
Not available in 2025UWA (Perth)Face to face
Outcomes

Students are able to (1) apply the principles, rules and sources of international law; (2) demonstrate analytical legal thinking to critically justify orally and in writing complex issues of public international law; (3) assess how international law impacts upon and is applied in domestic law; (4) critically debate the role and impact of international law in current global affairs; and (5) distinguish the role of different sources in communicating international law rules and issues.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) research essay; (2) media analysis; and (3) in-class participation. Further information is available in the unit outline.



Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Unit Coordinator(s)
Holly Cullen
Unit rules
Prerequisites
For Master of Public Policy
or Graduate Certificate of Public Policy students without a recognised Law degree: LAWS4227 Foundations of Law and Legal Institutions.
Incompatibility
Enrolment in
LAWS5165 Public International Law
Contact hours
Face to face teaching for this unit will be on 5 and 8 March 2024. Please refer to the timetable website for session times and venues. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory and pre reading including recorded lectures must be completed before these dates.
Note
Students must watch the pre-recorded lecture videos and attend every day of the intensive face-to-face period.
Textbook

Gleider Hernandez, International Law (Oxford University Press, 2019).

AND

Donald R. Rothwell, Stuart Kaye, Afshin Akhtar-Khavari, Ruth Davis and Imogen Saunders, International Law: Cases and Materials with Australian Perspectives (3rd ed., Cambridge, 2018). 

  • The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
  • All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
  • Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
  • Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.