International Humanitarian Law is an area of international law that appears to have undergone a revival in recent years. However, the basic principles of international humanitarian law and the founding conventions in the field are of long standing. Any course in the area therefore requires an historical appreciation of the topic, a thorough understanding of the relevant international conventions – especially the Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocols – mixed with a contemporary understanding of some of the current issues that have emerged as a result of the application and interpretation of IHL in recent conflicts. This course thus aims to provide a coherent introduction to historical, traditional, and contemporary aspects of international humanitarian law.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Demonstrate a sound appreciation of the historical basis for the development of the law in the field;
- Demonstrate an advanced understanding of international law as it applies in the area of international humanitarian law with a specialised knowledge of the relevant international conventions and treaties, especially the four Geneva Conventions and two Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions;
- Demonstrate an advanced and integrated understanding of the application of international humanitarian law to the actions of military forces and the impact of the law upon the protection of civilian populations in specific contexts; and
- Plan and execute complex legal research in order to construct an in-depth, critical analysis of contemporary issues which have arisen in the application and interpretation of international humanitarian law.
Indicative Assessment
- Students must rely on the approved Class Summary which will be posted to the Programs and Courses site approximately 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the course. (null) [LO null]
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
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Workload
Classes offered in non-standard sessions will be taught on an intensive base with compulsory contact hours (approximately 26 hours of face to face teaching). The course will also require advanced preparation through assigned readings. In total, it is anticipated that the hours required for completion of this course (class preparation, teaching and completion of assessment) will not exceed 120 hours. Classes offered during semester periods are expected to have 3 contact hours per week.
Click here for the LLM Masters Program timetable.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Students must rely on the approved Class Summary which will be posted to the Programs and Courses site approximately 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the course.
Preliminary Reading
An e-brick will be available on the Wattle course site.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 3
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4320 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $5760 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.