Duration
24h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course aims to provide a general overview of the main institutional, substantive and procedural aspects of the branch of the law dealing with the protection of human rights, as well as of the key practical issues associated with human rights litigation. To this end, the course will build on the basic knowledge already acquired in this field by students, directly or indirectly, throughout their curriculum. The approach will be inclusive: for each section of the course, the contribution and the specifics of all spheres of human rights protection (domestic, regional, universal) will be covered. Yet, the sphere of the Council of Europe (European Convention on Human Rights) will be of particular relevance.
The course will be divided into four major sections:
I.- General introduction
II.- Human rights institutions and mechanisms
III.- Human rights: substantive aspects
IV.- Human rights: procedural aspects.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
- Basic knowledge of key principles of public international law;
- Ability to use English as a working language.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The teaching method for this course will vary.
Lectures will be the basis of sections I, II and IV.
For section III (substantive aspects), students will be invited to becoming familiar with the relevant human rights and associated judicial interpretation on their own. This proactive learning experience will be collective in nature, and will be based on ressources provided by the instructor (a reader with key pieces of doctrinal literature and case law, a series of quizz questions and a Powerpoint presentation). Groups of 6 students will be formed, in which each student will act as an expert-rapporteur for one specific fundamental right. Detailed information will be provided in class.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Until further notice, all course sessions will be held online on Collaborate.
Organisational adjustments related to the current health context
Until further notice, all course sessions will be held online on Collaborate.
Recommended or required readings
A reader with case law and literature will be published in connection with section III of the course.
Assessment methods and criteria
Below you will find information on the evaluation methods planned for in-person and remote exams as well as those planned for hybrid sessions. Depending on how the health crisis evolves, the chosen method will be communicated to you no later than one month before the start of the exam session.
Any session :
- In-person
written exam ( open-ended questions )
- Remote
written exam
- If evaluation in "hybrid"
preferred remote
Additional information:
The assessment method will be threefold:
i) 5 % of the final grade: attendance and participation in connection with section III of the course described above (if the pandemic so allows).
ii) 30 % of the final grade: a paper taking the form of a very short (1,500 words maximum) commentary of a recent and significant decision in the area of human rights. The decision to comment on will be determined by the instructor. As an alternative, the instructor may offer students to participate - on a voluntary basis - in an actual human rights procedure. Participation in this form of law clinic cannot be guaranteed and will depend on concrete opportunities that would emerge during the semester.
iii) 65 % of the final grade (or 70 % of the pandemic bars the organization or assessment of the participatory section of the course described above at no. i)): a take-home exam for which students will be invited - by consulting any type of resources they wish - to resolve one or several practical exercises and to give their opinion on one or several general issues pertaining to the protection of human rights.
This threefold method will be applicable whether the health context is described as 'yellow' or 'orange' (under the criteria established at ULiège) at the time of assessment.
An identical evaluation method will be applied for the August/September session. Regarding the case note, students participating in the August/September session will have the opportunity either to keep their initial grade (case note submitted in April) or to rewrite a new case note. New topics will be announced in July and the deadline for submission (if applicable) will be August 31, 2021.
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
Contacts
Christophe Deprez (Christophe.Deprez@uliege.be)