Duration
48h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course deals with the key principles of international humanitarian law (IHL), or the law of armed conflict (LOAC).
Twenty lectures approximately will be held from September to December, which will cover topics such as the definition and classification of armed conflicts, the concept of protected persons, authorized methods and means of warfare, and issues connected to the implementation of IHL. We will also deal with some aspects of international criminal law.
This course will also work toward the preparation and possible participation, by a team of three students, to the Jean-Pictet Competition, and by a team of three students to the Inter-University Competition sponsored by the Belgian Red Cross. The internal selection of participants in these competitions will take place in May-June of the academic year prior to the competitions (see below).
The three students selected for the Belgian Red Cross Competition will not have to write a Master thesis (this only applies to law students). The three students selected for participating in the Jean-Pictet Competition will be exempted from their whole "travail de fin d'études" (this only applies to law students). If the three participants are not short-listed to participate in the final stage of the Jean-Pictet Competition, they will be requested to complete an internship on IHL in the course of the second semester (the course instructors are committed to arranging and supervising this internship).
The Jean-Pictet Competition :(http://ww.concourspictet.org)
This is a competition on IHL that involves each year universities from all around the globe. Beside the competitive aspect, it also consists of an intensive training session for students, which aims at allowing them to increase their knowledge of IHL through simulations and role-playing games. These games take place during an intensive week that pits the finalist teams against each other. Each team is made up of three candidates. Selection by the Comity takes place in mid-November. The competition week takes place in March or April.
Inter-university Competition of the Belgian Red Cross:
(http://www.croix-rouge.be)
This competition organized by the Belgian Red Cross is intended for students in law, criminology, political science and international relations. It consists of a mock procedure of dispute settlement on IHL related issues.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
This course aims to disseminate the key principles of IHL. It enables students to acquire basic knowledge in this field. It also seeks to stimulate, through concrete case studies, a practical and useful application of these principles.
The possible participation in the Jean-Pictet Competition or the Moot Court Competition is certainly an asset for students eager to enter the bar or an institution - public or private - that deals with conflict and postconflict contexts.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Participants are expected to be familar with the key principles of public international law.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Lectures
Lectures will be organized during the first semester. Several guest speakers (military, judges,...) will also be invited to take the floor. Class attendance is obviously, warmly encouraged (please do inform us of any absence to classes for which a guest speaker is scheduled to come).
Selection to participate in the competitions
Around the end of May or June, an internal selection process will determine which ULg students may attempt to participate in the next Jean-Pictet Competition or in the next Inter-university Mock Trial Competition of the Belgian Red Cross. Participation in the selection process requires that applicants plan to attend, or have already attended, this course.
The selection process will be made on the basis of a CV, a cover letter and a personal interview.
Recommended or required readings
Lecture notes will be made available to students for most of the sessions. These notes are compiled in a syllabus.
The Code de droit international humanitaire, Éditions Bruylant, 2020, is highly recommended. https://www.larcier.com/fr/code-essentiel-droit-international-humanitaire-2020-2020-9782807920491.html
It is also possible to print the several useful documents via the ICRC website: https://www.icrc.org/dih. To find out which conventions are to be printed, please refer to the table of contents of the Bruylant code.
Assessment methods and criteria
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
Additional information:
Closed-book oral examination.
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
See above.
Contacts
For further information, please contact Christophe DEPREZ (christophe.deprez@uliege.be) or Louna MONACO (louna.monaco@uliege.be).