730-350 International Human Rights Law

Legal Method and Reasoning; Principles of Public Law; International Law or in each case their equivalents.

Human Rights Law introduces students to the key elements of the international system for the protection of human rights and examines its formal and informal interactions with regional human rights mechanisms and domestic legal systems. The topics covered include: an introduction to the founding instruments of the international system, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the two human rights Covenants, and the obligations that they place on States; an overview of the key theories of human rights and of recent critical approaches, including feminist and postcolonial critiques; the operation of the treaty-based and UN Charter-based mechanisms for the enforcement of human rights; the role of human rights non-governmental organisations; the principle of non-discrimination, with particular reference to sex/gender equality; the principle of self-determination, with a focus on the rights of indigenous peoples; the challenges to human rights presented by economic gloablisation; and the Australian systems for the protection of human rights. The subject encourages students to engage critically with the material covered and to participate in class discussions.

Note: The essay in this subject is regarded as a substantial piece of legal writing for honours purposes.

Reflective essay 1000 words 20% (due week 9) AND either a research essay 5000 words 80% (due end of semester) or a final examination three hours 80%.

Printed materials will be issued by the Faculty of Law.

• Steiner & Alston, International Human Rights in Context. 3rd edn, Oxford University Press, 2006.
• Centre for the Study of Human Rights, Twenty-Five Human Rights Documents. Columbia University.