Dr Stephen Humphreys, NAB 5.12, Dr Andrew Lang, NAB 6.19.

For LLM students and MSc Human Rights. Some prior knowledge of international law is useful but not essential.

This course is capped at 30 students. Students must apply through Graduate Course Choice on LSEforYou.

The aim of this course is to develop an understanding of the principles of international law which regulate the use of force in international society.

The course examines both the law relating to when it is permissible to use force (The Jus ad bellum) and the law governing the conduct of hostilities once the decision to resort to force has been taken (The Law of Armed Conflict or International Humanitarian Law)

The first half of the course is devoted to the law on resort to force. It concentrates on the prohibition of resort to force in Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter and the exceptions to that prohibition. This part of the course looks in detail at the right of self-defence, humanitarian intervention, intervention to promote democracy, self-determination and to protect nationals, reprisals and intervention in civil war. The use of force by or with the authorization of the United Nations is also considered.

The second half of the course is concerned with the conduct of hostilities and takes a critical approach to the international regulation and facilitation of armed conflict. It covers the laws governing the means and methods of warfare (sometimes known as 'Hague' law) and those regarding 'protected' groups hors de combat ('Geneva' law) in times of armed conflict and occupation. The course will further consider the practice of 'lawfare' more generally: that is, recourse to law as an aspect of waging war.

Teaching is by seminar. There is normally one two-hour seminar each week.

Students are asked to submit two 2,000 word essays.

A detailed reading list will be issued at the first seminar. See, in particular: Dinstein, The Conduct of Hostilities under the Law of Armed Conflict and War, Aggression and Self-Defence (4^th ed., 2006); Gray, International Law and the Use of Force (3rd ed., 2008); Roberts & Guelff, Documents on the Laws of War (3rd edn) and Rogers, Law on the Battlefield (2nd edn, 2004).

There is a three-hour formal examination (100%), based on the entire syllabus.