LAWPUBL 466 : Contemporary Issues in Disarmament Law

Law

2020 Semester Two (1205) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

A study of the legal and humanitarian issues relating to arms control and disarmament, including both conventional weapons (landmines, small arms, incendiary weapons for example) and “weapons of mass destruction” (chemical, biological and nuclear weapons). Themes include the role of civil society in law-making, difficulties of verification and dispute resolution and the role of law in disarmament.

Course Overview

Disarmament law is an under-explored area of public international law. By way of contrast, international law is awash with analysis about the use of force and "international security" and "peace and security" is generally seen as the raison d'être of international law. And yet, despite the two (disarmament and security) being inextricably linked, disarmament is silenced in international law. This is evident in the long-running Syrian conflict for example. One of the reasons why that conflict has endured for so long as been the seemingly limitless supply of weapons to all parties from the broader international community. And yet, this weapons aspect of the conflict is almost complete ignored in legal analysis. Why? What does that blind spot tell us about perceptions of "law" and of the supposed law/politics divide? 
In sketching out international legal analysis and understanding of disarmament, in this course, you will learn foundational information on disarmament law and you will gain an understanding of recurrent themes in disarmament practice. More conceptually, you will become critically aware of sone of the silences of international law - perhaps leading you to question what other silences might be persisting in international law, and in turn starting to reflect on the limits of legal discourse in this area.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points at Stage II in Global Politics and Human Rights or LAW 211 Restriction: LAWPUBL 455

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Laws

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Develop a critical knowledge and understanding of the framework, development and theory of international disarmament law (Capability 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3)
  2. Develop a sound understanding of the substantive legal regimes on a range of weapons, including (but not necessary limited to) nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, anti-personnel landmines, cluster munitions, and autonomous weapons systems (Capability 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 4.1)
  3. Develop a sound understanding of the contemporary institutional framework for international control of weapons within and beyond the United Nations (Capability 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 4.1)
  4. Demonstrate an understanding of of selected issues, debates and themes in disarmament law
  5. Be able to find legal principles and doctrines of disarmament law by researching relevant treaties, commentaries, case law and secondary literature
  6. Be able to critically reflect on issues of law and policy raised by the present state of the law and offer an opinion on whether law reform is necessary or desirable

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Essay outline Individual Coursework
Essay 30% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 70% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Essay outline
Essay
Final Exam

The exam will be open book.


Learning Resources

There is no text book for this course. Course materials will be made available on Canvas.

Workload Expectations


This is a standard 15-point course. There will be around 36 hours of lectures in this course. As a general guide, you should expect a workload of three hours outside of the classroom for each hour spent in class. The guideline for the total workload for this course is 150 hours.


Digital 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.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework 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. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

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 at 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.

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.

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.

Published on 07/07/2020 09:53 a.m.