LL401E      Half Unit
The Law of Armed Conflict

This information is for the 2014/15 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Stephen Humphreys NAB5.12

Availability

This course is available on the Executive LLM. This course is not available as an outside option.

Available to Executive LLM students only. This course will be offered on the Executive LLM during the four year degree period. The Department of Law will not offer all Executive LLM courses every year, although some of the more popular courses may be offered in each year, or more than once each year. Please note that whilst it is the Department of Law's intention to offer all Executive LLM courses, its ability to do so will depend on the availability of the staff member in question. For more information please refer to the Department of Law website.

Course content

This course covers the law governing the conduct of hostilities (jus in bello, also known as the law of armed conflict or international humanitarian law). The course will take a critical approach to the international regulation and facilitation of armed conflict. As well as the laws governing the means and methods of warfare (‘Hague’ law) and the ‘protected’ groups hors de combat (‘Geneva’ law), the course will cover ‘lawfare’ more generally: the recourse to law as a means of waging war. It will also look at the law of belligerent occupation.

Teaching

24-26 hours of contact time.

Formative coursework

Students will have the option of producing a formative exam question of 2000 words to be delivered one month from the end of the module’s teaching session by email.

Indicative reading

A detailed reading list will be issued at the first seminar. See, in particular: Yoram Dinstein, The Conduct of Hostilities under the Law of Armed Conflict, Adam Roberts & Guelff, Documents on the Laws of War; A.V. Rogers, Law on the Battlefield, David Kennedy, Of Law and War, Geoffrey Best, War and Law Since 1945.

Assessment

Either a take-home examination or 8,000 word assessed essay (100%).

Key facts

Department: Law

Total students 2013/14: Unavailable

Average class size 2013/14: Unavailable

Controlled access 2013/14: No

Lecture capture used 2013/14: No

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Communication
  • Specialist skills