Bachelor
2025/2026
International Law
Type:
Compulsory course (International Business)
Delivered by:
Department of Strategic and International Management
When:
4 year, 1 module
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Vera Rusinova
Language:
English
Contact hours:
40
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The course on Public International Law examines the nature, principles, and instruments of (Public) International Law, studying in depth the structure and mechanisms of the international legal system, analysing and discussing the main issues that currently challenge the international community.
This course is primarily aimed at providing the students the necessary tools to understand and study the nature, sources and role of International Law as well as to analyze and discuss the resolution of international disputes. In the first part, the course will cover a wide array of introductory and substantial topics such as the sources and subjects of International law, states’ sovereignty and jurisdiction, the UN legal system and the interrelations between domestic and international legal systems. In the second part the course will address specific branches of International Law, such as International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law, International Criminal Law, Law of International Security, International Economic Law. Moreover, the course will deal with current and emerging issues of International Law, such as terrorism, mass migration, cyber operations, unilateral sanctions, etc. The course will analyze and discuss treaties, decisions of the UN bodies and other international legal instruments. A special emphasis will be made on the relevant case law of international and national courts.
During the course on International law students are supposed to participate in a Moot Court exercise simulating a case before one of the international courts and complete a written exam consisting of open questions and a case study.
Learning Objectives
- The main purpose of the course is to develop skills to apply norms of International Law, conduct legal research individually and in a team and solve cases involving the issues of International Law.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- The students should gain the following knowledge and understanding: the role and importance of international law in the regulation of social relations.
- The students should gain the following knowledge and understanding: the basic principles of International law, its main features (sources, subjects), the structure and mechanisms of the international legal system, the role and functioning of global and regional international organizations; as well as the role, functions and procedural mechanisms of the international and regional courts, special tribunals and quasi-judicial human rights bodies.
- The students should gain the following knowledge and understanding: the International Law terminology and academic legal writings; the sources of international law and learn how to identify the applicable law to solve possible case law (weekly classes, exams, written assignments).
- The students should gain the following knowledge and understanding: the law of treaties and the role of states and international organizations in law-making; historical evolution of International law, human rights law and the other International Law branches and their current trends.
- The students should gain the following skills and abilities: to learn and use specific terminology and sources of International Law; to develop practical abilities of legal research and analysis of customary law, treaties, soft law, decisions, and doctrines; to use appropriate referencing and bibliographic methods.
- The students should gain the following skills and abilities: to read and correctly analyse case law (International Court of Justice, ICC, ICTY; ICTR, ECtHR, CJEU, and international arbitration court) using lawyering skills and legal argumentation).
- The students should gain the following skills and abilities: to use the major legal databases on international law and European law such as Peace Palace Library, ICJ website, Court of Justice, HUDOC, EURLEX, JSTOR, Lexis Nexis, WESTLAW, and the major journals, blogs or dedicated websites for carrying out research activity and analyse current issues in the international law field.
- Students should gain the following competencies and abilities: to develop a professional methodology to work, learning to conduct exhaustive legal research, correct identification of relevant judicial decision and applicable law, which will be necessary for the fulfilment of their future scientific and professional tasks; to apply a systematic legal approach and using comparative methods.
- Students should gain the following competencies and abilities: to carry out professional activities in the field of International Law, Human Rights Law and/or Humanitarian Assistance; to identify legal issues in the field of International law and to develop an independent analysis of such issues.
- Students should gain the following competencies and abilities: to use national and international regulatory acts and judicial decisions to protect human and civil rights and freedoms, and legitimate interests of legal entities; to represent individuals in front of domestic and international courts, as well as quasi-judicial bodies; to analyse scientific publications and reports on PIL topics.
Course Contents
- Topic 1 – Introduction to Public International Law
- Topic 2 – Sources and Norms of Public International law
- Topic 3 – States as Subjects of International law
- Topic 4 – The Law of Treaties
- Topic 5 – Relationship between Public International Law and Municipal (National) Law
- Topic 6 – Coercion and Responsibility in International Law. Individual criminal responsibility.
- Topic 7 – The Settlement of International Disputes
- Topic 8 – International Protection of Human Rights
- Topic 9 – Prohibition of the threat and use of force in International Law. International Humanitarian Law
- Topic 10 – International Economic Law
Assessment Elements
- Attendance, active participation and in-class discussionThe students will be evaluated on their performance during the seminars. Each student is expected to attend all the seminars and be prepared on the topic of the seminar in advance. The students must study the assigned material. The knowledge of the students can be assessed in class through written tests (close and/or open questions), as well as on the ground of his/her participation in class discussions (solving cases, answers to the questions, debates). This course uses interactive educational technologies (work in small groups, interactive seminars; brainstorming sessions, debates, extensive home-reading). Students are expected to be well prepared; they must carefully study all materials assigned before the seminar. Students are expected to spend 3-4 academic hours of home reading, researching, and preparation per week. Every lecture will be followed by the correspondent seminars as specified in this syllabus. In order to be prepared for the lectures, it is necessary to use the sources enlisted in this syllabus. To prepare for the seminar, it is necessary to study carefully the material assigned before the lesson. Particular attention should be paid to the basic principles, sources, and the correct terminology of Public International Law. When preparing, it is recommended to refer to the works of the highly qualified PIL scholars. It is compulsory to study, analyze and make references to the decisions of international judicial and quasi-judicial bodies. Lectures by authoritative international scholars on various topics of the course can be viewed online at the Library of Audiovisual Materials on UN International Law at http://www.un.org/law/avl/ . Comments on the most pressing issues of Public International Law can be found on the websites of the different blogs, e.g. of the European Society of International Law blog at: http://www.ejiltalk.org.
- Moot CourtA written memorandum (preparation of a written memorandum (team-work, 2-5 students)) and oral pleadings; max = 10 points
- Written examA written examination (in class; in a written form; max = 10 points) Two open questions (the use of additional materials is forbidden) and one case-study (the use of additional legal sources, notes, and Internet is required). Duration: 1 h 20 min.
Interim Assessment
- 2025/2026 1st module0.3 * Attendance, active participation and in-class discussion + 0.3 * Moot Court + 0.4 * Written exam
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- International law, Shaw, M. N., 2021
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Anthea Roberts, Paul B. Stephan, Pierre-Hugues Verdier, & Mila Versteeg. (2018). Comparative International Law. Oxford University Press.
- Aspremont, J. d’. (2015). Epistemic Forces in International Law : Foundational Doctrines and Techniques of International Legal Argumentation. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=970454
- Koskenniemi, M., Rech, W., & Jiménez Fonseca, M. (2017). International Law and Empire : Historical Explorations (Vol. First edition). Oxford: OUP Oxford. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1506334
- The Oxford Handbook on the Sources of International Law. (2017). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/law/9780198745365.001.0001