LL4AR Half Unit
International Criminal Law: Core Crimes and Concepts
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Prof Gerry Simpson
Availability
This course is available on the LLM (extended part-time), LLM (full-time), MSc in Human Rights, MSc in Law and Finance and University of Pennsylvania Law School LLM Visiting Students. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
How to apply: Priority will be given initially to LLM, MSc Regulation and MSc Law and Finance students on a first-come-first-served allocation.
Spaces permitting, requests from all other students will be processed on the same first-come-first-served allocation from 10am on Thursday 2 October 2025
By submitting an application, students are confirming that they meet any pre-requisites specified. Providing an additional written statement will not aid a student's chances of being accepted onto a course, and statements are not read.
Deadline for application: Not applicable
For queries contact: Law.llm@lse.ac.uk
This course has a limited number of places and demand is typically high. This may mean that you’re not able to get a place on this course.
Course content
LL4AR takes what might be loosely called a conceptual and historical approach to developments in the field of international criminal law, or international criminal justice, as some of its advocates like to call it. After assimilating the ideas that make up the theoretical basis of the discipline, the course examines the historical events that were precursors to the system operating today. In this context we will consider the Versailles Treaty, Nuremberg and Tokyo as well as the Eichmann Trial and, maybe, the Barbie Affair.
We will then take a look at the core crimes covered by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, namely: genocide, crimes against humanity and aggression before concluding on the subject of “enemies of mankind”.
The aim is neither to praise nor bury international criminal law but instead to ask what it does in the world; what forms of politics it advances, reproduces, over- or undervalues, excludes or represses; what kinds of injury it makes visible (and invisible); and how its doctrines, principles, assumptions and predispositions are arranged to form a field of legal politics.
Teaching
20 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.
Formative assessment
One 2,000 word essay.
Indicative reading
Gerry Simpson, Law, War and Crime, (2007).
Gerry Simpson “Unprecedents” in Retrials (eds. Immi Tallgren and Thomas Skouteris, Cambridge: 2020)
Gerry Simpson “Epilogue: The Next Hundred Years” in The Oxford Handbook of International Criminal Law. (eds. Kevin Heller, Jens Ohlin, Sarah Nouwen, Fred Megret, Darryl Robinson, Oxford: 2019.
Philippe Sands, East-West Street, (2017).
Georg Schwarzenberger, International Law and Totalitarian Lawlessness, (1943)
Judith Shklar, Legalism, (1964)
Maurice Hankey, Politics, Trials, Errors (1950)
Christine Schwobel, Critical Approaches to International Criminal Law: An Introduction (2015)
Assessment
Exam (100%), duration: 150 Minutes in the Spring exam period
Key facts
Department: LSE Law School
Course Study Period: Autumn Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 14
Average class size 2024/25: 14
Controlled access 2024/25: NoCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
For this course, please see the following link/s:
LL4AR International Criminal Law: Core Crimes and Concepts Course Guide Video https://youtu.be/WHoGNrmwmdQ
Personal development skills
- Communication
- Specialist skills