LW2EHR: Introduction to International and European Human Rights Law

Module code: LW2EHR

Module provider: School of Law

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Professor Marko Milanovic, email: m.milanovic@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module provides an introduction to the international and European law protecting human rights. It will expose students to a range of disciplinary perspectives about human rights, and provide them with a grounding in the history, sources, and enforcement mechanisms of international human rights law. It will also give students the opportunity to engage with the substance of human rights protections on specific issues, with a focus on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. The module will also provide students with the core knowledge they will find useful to take more specialised optional Part F modules in international human rights, although it is not a formal pre-requisite for these modules.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate substantive knowledge of the foundational aspects of international human rights law and how it functions as well as the working of the European system of human rights protection
2. Debate and critique the relative merits and demerits of the international human rights system and its enforcement mechanisms
3. Demonstrate the ability to critically analyse aspects of international and European human rights law using a broad range of sources including treaties, customary law, case law, leading theorists and academic commentators

Module content

The module will cover: 

1. The history of international and European human rights law. 
2. The sources of these bodies of law, including treaties and custom. 
3. The various UN enforcement mechanisms. 
4. The working of the European Court of Human Rights. 
5. Overarching concepts, such as the different types of obligations incumbent on states, the different types of rights, or the requirements for lawful limitations on rights.  
6. Several substantive areas, such as the right to life, freedom of expression, the right to privacy, individual rights in the digital age, from the perspective of the European Convention on Human Rights. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module will be delivered through weekly 2 hour lectures, 5 workshops, and 5 tutorials. There will also be blended learning throughout the module. Students will be expected to undertake relevant preparatory reading and preparation prior to attending workshops and tutorials, and to participate in discussions. The topics will be delivered by different tutors in order to give students the benefit of the range of staff expertise.  Students will be expected to have done the directed pre-reading and to contribute to the discussion.  

Study hours

At least 25 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative assessment will be based on the work done in workshops and will provide scaffolding for summative assessment. In particular, as formative assessment students will engage in a group exercise analysing a hypothetical case. 

Reassessment

Additional costs