Public international law

International Law: The Tension Between Ethics and Politics:
1) An overview of the international legal order and its connections to the history and evolution of international relations;
2) Subjects of international law: states (creation, borders, sovereignty), international organizations (definition, legal personality), individuals (rights and obligations of the individual);  
3) The sources of international law, caught between the will of states and social necessities: treaties, custom, and other sources;
4) The implementation of international law, caught between idealism and realism: coercive and non-coercive sanctions, dispute resolution, and liability.

1) Ensure an understanding of the international legal order, its scope and its limits, with a particular emphasis on the tensions that caractérise it.

2) Enable a solid understanding of the fundamental concepts, principles and rules of international law, so as to be able to apply them to practical cases, particularly those of current interest.

Courses requiring this course

Cours ayant celui-ci comme co-requis

Instruction is based on a textbook (see reference below) and centered on interaction. Course participation is not mandatory, with the notable exception of supplementary practical exercises, which are accompanied by periodic written assignments.
Each week, the oral course will be divided into two types of sessions: two hours devoted to summarizing the material from the chapter under review, and two hours consisting of a discussion of questions communicated in advance, which will require students to have read excerpts from the textbook beforehand and, where necessary, to have watched podcasts produced specifically for the course.

Further details are provided in the presentation note of the course, available on Virtual University.

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

• Compulsory reading : Olivier Corten, François Dubuisson, Vaios Koutroulis et Anne Lagerwall, A Critical Introduction to International Law, 2nd edition, Brussels, Editions de l'ULB, 2024.

  List of international instruments available on Virtual University.

   

Course notes

• Podcast
• Syllabus
• Université virtuelle

Contacts

Twice a week during class or through the virtual university. Sending emails is strongly discouraged, except through class representatives.

Campus

Solbosch

Method(s) of evaluation

• written examination

written examination

• Open question with short answer

Continuous assessment based on an oral presentation and participation in practical exercises.

Written exam, with legal resources available to students, consisting of one main question, divided in three sub-questions, based on a practical case, and two more specific questions testing knowledge and understanding of the concepts covered in class.

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

Language(s) of evaluation

• english