Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Seminars / Tutorials | 22 hours; 11x2 hour seminars |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | TWO WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS OF 2,500-3,000 WORDS (40% EACH) OR ONE WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT OF 5,000-6,000 WORDS | 80% |
| Semester Assessment | ORAL PRESENTATION | 20% |
| Supplementary Assessment | WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT(s) TO BE RESUBMITTED, IF FAILED | 80% |
| Supplementary Assessment | WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT IN LIEU OF ORAL PRESENTATION TO BE SUBMITTED, IF FAILED | 20% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Display a knowledge and understanding of the main sources of International Criminal Law.
2. Present critical and well-informed argument relating to the interpretation of these sources.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the complexities of incorporating international crimes into a statute.
4. Identify and evaluate the relevance of historical and contemporary sources that are key to the development of international criminal law
5. Critically analyze the relevant literature and materials in this field and use them in critical discussion of the subject.
Brief description
Modern international criminal law was invented in the context of World War Two. It arose from the determination of the allied powers to prosecute Nazi war criminals for the atrocities of World War Two. This determination took the form of judicial proceedings revolving around the implementation of the Nuremberg Charter. Until very recently, the Nuremberg trials were the only such prosecutions in history. Today the number of international criminal law sources has increased considerably: they include the Statutes of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and most recently the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. In formulating and applying substantive international criminal law the tribunals rely on a number of sources which this module will consider.
Content
2. Sources of the Crime Against Humanity under international criminal law: Examples include the 1868 Saint Petersburg Declaration, 1907 Martens Clause and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
3. Sources of War Crimes under international criminal law: Examples include 1915 Declaration by the governments of France, Great Britain and Russia, the Nuremberg Charter and Control Council Law No. 10.
4. Sources of the Crime of Aggression under international criminal law: Examples include the Nuremberg Charter, General Assembly Resolution 3314, (1974), U.N. Preparatory Commission for the International Criminal Court, (2000), the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7