Public International Law

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

What is international law? Why is understanding international law important for understanding international politics and international relations? What are the limits and potentials of international law? This course introduces students to the origins, history, main concepts and principles of public international law (PIL). It will explore the key tenets of PIL including international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and international criminal law. The course will cover key legal sources, instruments and mechanisms that govern relations between international actors including states and non-state actors. Students will critically engage in discussions that explore the role of international law in some of the most difficult and controversial issues in contemporary politics. Questions of sovereignty, the use of force, state responsibility, enforcement and accountability will be central to class discussions. The course will pay particular attention to critical perspectives to analyze law and politics in contemporary historical and interdisciplinary perspective. It will equip students with the language and the critical analytical tools necessary to understand the rules and principles that govern international relations. No prior legal background is required to take this course. It is not presumed that all students who take this course plan to go into law school. Instead, the course is designed for students of international politics with a keen interest in understanding how international law shapes and is shaped by multiple actors in the global order. The course will also provide students with a foundation for continued training and more specialized studies in international law.