Postgraduate - UnitLAW5338 - International humanitarian law

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 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.

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6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Level	Postgraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Law
Offered	City (Melbourne) First semester 2015 (Day)

Notes

For postgraduate Law discontinuation dates, please see http://www.law.monash.edu.au/current-students/postgraduate/pg-disc-dates.html
For postgraduate Law unit timetables, please see http://law.monash.edu.au/current-students/course-unit-information/timetables/postgraduate/index.html
Previously coded as LAW7218

Quota applies

Postgraduate programs are based on a model of small group teaching and therefore class sizes need to be restricted.

Synopsis

International humanitarian law (IHL) is a body of law that governs the conduct of armed conflict. It is established and developed to limit the effects of armed conflict, establishing protection for civilians and combatants no longer participating in the conflict. After an introduction to the concept and role of IHL, the unit examines its historical development, the body of rules and their sources, particularly the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977, and the development of IHL through the interpretation of custom by international courts and tribunals, by states and by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit students will be able to

apply knowledge and understanding of recent developments in relation to the permissibility of armed conflict in international law, and the way in which the international humanitarian law regulates the conduct of armed conflict with creativity and initiative to new situations in professional practice and/or for further learning;
investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories in relation to international humanitarian law;
conduct research in international humanitarian law based on knowledge of appropriate research principle and methods; and
use cognitive, technical and creative skill to generate and evaluate at an abstract level complex ideas and concepts relevant to way in which international humanitarian law is enforced and future challenges for international humanitarian law.

Assessment

Class participation: 10%
Research assignment (3,750 words): 45%
Take home examination (3,750 words): 45%

Workload requirements

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

Chief examiner(s)

Lt ColonelDan Mori (Ret)