Syllabus

Course Overview

We currently live in a world where a web of interdependence is felt at an international scale. In this modern era, international law is no longer exclusively used by diplomats and professionals at international organizations; it is an essential tool for local administrative officials, business persons, journalists and activists as well. We, as citizens, also need to understand the fundamentals of international law. Our political decisions can no longer be purely domestic; significant portion of any government’s policies have international implications. This course is, thus, for anyone who wishes to better understand the increasingly complicated world we live in from a legal lens.

Course Objectives

Students can acquire following abilities at the end of the course:- Knowledge about basic concepts, fundamental principles and important rules of international law;- Legal mindset;- Research skills for identifying relevant international legal materials;- Critical thinking and structured writing skills.

Teaching Methods

Lecturer will explain key ideas, legal principles and mechanisms, and cases, based on the textbook. During classes, students are encouraged to raise questions relating to the theme of a class, such as about cases referred in the textbook or relevant news.
Feedback quizz and mid-term report will be given during classes. The feedback of the final report will be provided on the HP or manaba.

Overview of Each Class

Class 1: The setting of international law (Ch. 1)
Class 2: The subjects of international law (Ch. 4)
Class 3: Jurisdiction, powers and immunities (Ch. 5)
Class 4: The making of international law (Ch. 2)
Class 5: The law of treaties (Ch. 3)
Class 6: The law of responsibility (Ch. 7)
Class 7: International courts and tribunals (Ch. 8)
Class 8: Sanctions, countermeasures and collective security (Ch. 9)
Class 9: Use of force (Ch. 10)
Class 10: The law of armed conflict (Ch. 11)
Class 11: International criminal law (Ch. 12)
Class 12: The seas, the air and outer space (Ch. 13)
Class 13: Protecting the environment (Ch. 14)
Class 14: The global economy (Ch. 15)
Class 15: Domestic courts and their relationship with international law (Ch. 16)

Pre-class Study Load

Students are expect to read the assigned chapter of the textbook to prepare for each class. After each class, students are strongly advised to revise new ideas they learned.

Method of Grade Evaluation

Quizz: 20% (based on the textbook), Mid-term report: 30%, Final report: 50%

Students will be asked select one movie from the list (tentative). In groups, students will be tasked to describe story and discuss international law questions. Detailed instructions will be provided during classes.
・Argo (Directed by Ben Affleck, 2012) ・Black Hawk Down (Directed by Ridley Scott, 2001)
・Captain Phillips (Directed by Paul Greengrass, 2013) ・Eye in the Sky (Directed by Gavin Hood, 2015)
・Hotel Rwanda (Directed by Terry George, 2004) ・Tokyo Trial (Developed by NHK, 2016)
・Woman in Gold (Directed by Simon Curtis, 2015) ・Other appropriate movie (consult the lecturer in advance)

Method of Implementing Multicultural Collaborative Learning

As the textbook explains, "international law offers a vocabulary for political debate". This course will not provide legal answers to specific questions, like state A acted legally or in violation of international legal rule. Rather, this course will train students the ability to make legal argumentation. In this way, students will be asked to think legal justifications of the positions that do not necessarily match the students' moral or cultural perspectives.
In order to facilitate legal learning, students will be asked to prepare reports in groups of 2-4.

Requirements for Students

Please expect group work for the preparation of reports.

Textbook

Jan Klabbers, International Law (Cambridge University Press, 2nd edition, 2017).
University COOP does not sell this textbook. Please buy by yourself, for instance, through online shop.
Malcolm Evans (ed), Blackstone's International Law Documents (Oxford University Press, 14th edition, 2019).
Students can use an older version. Please note that University COOP only offers 13th edition.

Further Reading

Please consult the detailed version of this syllabus.

Misc. Notes

Please bring PC, a tablet or a smartphone connected to internet/WiFi to the classroom. They will be used for answering quizzes and for practicing research skills.
No recording and photo-taking is allowed.