Rule of Law and International Organizations, 15 hp

Innehåll

Fair and reliable laws and judicial institutions are widely emphaised as being crucial to peace, security and development. The purpose of the course is to highlight a number of key issues in creating and reforming such institutions in transition- and developing countries, or countries devastated by war, e.g.  
*    the critical role of law for peace and security,
*    the legal basis for "humanitarian intervention" and international administrations,
*    whether and how law can be used to promote reconsiliation, democratisation and economic development,
*    the prospects of successfully using foreign legal and judicial concepts as models,
*    development co-operation within the field of law, e.g. how projects are identified, implemented and evaluated.

The course will start with a brief exposé of the most common arguments for and against international support to legal and judicial reforms, previous experiences of donor-supported reform programs, relevant international norms and policies, and the role of international organizations. After that a number of thematic seminars will provide a deeper understanding of key issues in building and reforming legal and judicial institutions.

Förväntade studieresultat

After having successfully completed the course, the student will know:
*    The international rationale for emphasizing RoL in developing, transition and post-crisis environments
*    The principal approaches and tools for lending international support to RoL reforms
*    The possibilities and limitations of these approaches and tools   

Behörighetskrav

Univ: University studies of at least 60 ECTS in law or political science or equivalent.

Undervisningens upplägg

The teaching will essentially consist of seminars. External experts will be invited to discuss current developments within their respective fields. Active participation by the students in analyzing and discussing arguments and trends is critical. Participating students are required to carefully study all assigned texts and cases before each seminar. Further instructions on the requirements for each seminar will be handed out as the course proceeds. All teaching and seminars will be in the English language.

Examination

Students are required to attend and actively participate in all classes and seminars. The course requirements also include the preparation of cases and thematic papers. The examin­ing teacher has the right to decide on additional requirements or to use another form of examination. Grades given are Fail (U), Pass (G) and Pass with Distinction (VG).

Transfers
Students have the right to apply to have a previous education or experience evaluated for transfer of credits. For more information, see:
www.umu.se/studentcentrum/regler_riktlinjer/index.html