units

LAW7026

Faculty of Law

Monash University

Postgraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2013 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

print version

6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL

To find units available for enrolment in the current year, you must make sure you use the indexes and browse unit tool in the current edition of the Handbook.

LevelPostgraduate
FacultyFaculty of Law
OfferedCity (Melbourne) First semester 2013 (On-campus block of classes)
City (Melbourne) Second semester 2013 (On-campus block of classes)
City (Melbourne) Trimester 1 2013 (Day)

Notes

Synopsis

Topics include: an introduction to public international law and international human rights law concepts; the theories, philosophical foundations and historical development of international human rights law; universality and cultural relativism; the international human rights institutions and enforcement mechanisms; an overview of the different types of rights (civil and political rights; economic social and cultural rights); restrictions on rights, including derogation, qualifications and limitations; and the relevance of international human rights law to Australian law and practice.

Outcomes

On completion of this subject students should understand and be able to critically analyse, research and apply the following knowledge:

  • the basic concepts underlying public international law and international human rights law concepts;
  • the competing theories and philosophical foundations of international human rights, and the historical development of modern international human rights law;
  • the debates surrounding the universality, cultural relativism and/or pluralistic nature of human rights;
  • the international human rights institutions and enforcement mechanisms, focussing on the treaty and charter based systems;
  • the scope and content of civil and political rights;
  • the scope and content of economic, social and cultural rights, including debates surrounding their justiciability;
  • the ability to restrict the application of rights in certain circumstances subject to certain requirements, including derogation, qualifications and limitations; and
  • the relevance of international human rights law to Australian law and practice.

Assessment

Research essay (max 7,500 words): 100%
OR
Two research essays (max 3,750 words each): 50% each

Chief examiner(s)

Contact hours

24 contact hours per semester (either intensive, semi-intensive or semester long, depending on the Faculty resources, timetabling and requirements)