This course may include an introductory Teaching Company lecture which may be waived for students with prior exposure to legal concepts and terminology. The topics of the introductory portion are:
- Foundations of Contract
- Offer and Acceptance
- Consideration, Capacity, and Form
- Genuineness and Discharge
- Performances and Discharge
- Remedies
- Third-Party Rights
- International Contracts
All students should own a dictionary of legal terms and have it on hand as they read the assigned textbooks.
Part 1: International Law – General (target duration 4-6 weeks)
The foundational textbooks for the course are:
- International Law (Malcolm N. Shaw or Antonio Cassese)
- The nature and development of international law;
- International law today;
- Sources;
- International law and municipal law;
- The subjects of international law;
- The international protection of human rights;
- The regional protection of human rights;
- Recognition;
- Territory;
- Air law and space law;
- The law of the sea;
- Jurisdiction;
- Immunities from jurisdiction;
- State responsibility;
- International environmental law;
- The law of treaties;
- State succession;
- The settlement of disputes by peaceful means;
- Interstate courts and tribunals;
- International law and the use of force by states;
- International humanitarian law;
- The United Nations;
- International institutions.
After reading the SHAW or CASSESE, students must contact their assigned faculty member for a review and paper assignment.
Part 2: Law of Treaties (target duration 4-6 weeks)
- Modern Treaty Law and Practice, recent edition (Anthony Aust)
- Vienna convention on the Law of Treaties 1969;
- What is a treaty?;
- MoUs;
- Capacity to conclude treaties;
- Full powers;
- Adoption and authentication;
- Consent to be bound;
- Reservations;
- Entry into force;
- Treaties and domestic law;
- Territorial application;
- Successive treaties;
- Interpretation;
- Third states;
- Amendment;
- Duration and termination;
- Invalidity;
- The depositary;
- Registration and publication;
- Dispute settlement and remedies;
- Succession to treaties;
- International organizations;
- Drafting and final clauses;
- Appendices.
Students will also have to read EUCLID’s textbook entitled: Binding and Non-Binding Instruments in Intergovernmental Relations
After reading the ‘AUST,’ students must contact their assigned faculty member for a review and paper assignment.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student is expected to have acquired a clear understanding of the principles, applications, actors, methods and mechanisms related to the practice of public international law.
Course Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, the student is expected to able to:
1) Understand the foundation concepts of contract law (foundation)
2) Understand the difference between domestic and international law
3) Understand the instruments, mechanisms and agents of international law
4) Understand modern treaty law and instruments
5) Be able to analyze and draft an international agreement
