LAWPUBL 410 : International Law
Law
2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
International law is increasingly core to a legal education in today’s world of increasing interactions and interdependence among states and their populations. This on-campus course will equip you with a solid grounding in basic rules and skills of public international law. You will become familiar with the sources of international law, states as international legal persons, the law of state responsibility, and the work of international courts and tribunals, collective security, as well as the law on the use of force.
Course Requirements
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 2: | Sustainability |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 6: | Communication |
| Capability 7: | Collaboration |
| Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- Appreciate international law’s reflection of the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua in New Zealand and the historic, contemporary and ongoing legal relevance of te Tiriti o Waitangi. Appreciate international law’s differentiated potential to achieve justice and equality in Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Moananui-a-Kiwa and the world. (Capability 1.1)
- Formulate insights into the role that international law can play in the global effort needed to overcome challenges for human flourishing and well-being including conflict, global inequality, and excessive atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases - equipping themselves to play a part in Aotearoa New Zealand and the world addressing these issues to generate a better future. (Capability 1.2 and 2.1)
- Demonstrate a foundational working knowledge of the content of international law, engaging with the subject effectively in light of its history, its theory, its structure and its core concepts. (Capability 1.2, 3.1 and 3.2)
- Apply international law to complex facts accurately and critically, employing transdisciplinary perspectives where appropriate. (Capability 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2)
- Identify, analyse and evaluate international legal rules and principles to critically evaluate legal positions. (Capability 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1 and 6.1)
- Construct scholarly, well-reasoned arguments in international law. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 and 8.1)
- Draw on on multiple perspectives to make reasoned recommendations to respond to international legal issues, innovatively where appropriate. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 and 8.1)
- Listen, and express ideas coherently, persuasively and respectfully for different audiences in the lecture theatre, online and in their assessment. (Capability 6.1, 7.1 and 8.1)
- Establish, build and maintain relationships, and collaborate ethically and effectively. (Capability 6.1, 7.1 and 8.1)
- Exercise independent judgement, make principled decisions and engage in self-directed learning, to advance personally and professionally. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 8.1)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Quiz | Group Coursework | |
| Assignment | 50% | Individual Coursework |
| Assignment | 50% | Individual Coursework |
| 3 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| Quiz | ||||||||||
| Assignment | ||||||||||
| Assignment | ||||||||||
Workload Expectations
This is a standard 15-point course. The guideline for the total workload for this course is 150 hours.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
The international law course will be delivered through 2 hours of lectures each week. Attendance is expected. The international law course requires a commitment to attending and participating fully in classes. The grading of the assignments will assume you have fully prepared, attended and engaged personally with the subject matter. Pre-reading will be assigned and workshops and students will be expected to have completed this work. Students may be asked in lectures, and particularly in workshops, for their responses on relevant questions.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
In 2025 course contact time was reduced to 2 hours, with resources provided by the lecturer to replace the 3rd hour.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course director, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a Student Academic and Support Adviser as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.