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Human Rights and Climate Change (LAWS70452)
Graduate coursework level 7Points: 12.5Not available in 2018
Overview
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This subject will provide a state-of-the-art, up-to-date overview of the phenomenon of climate change and how it affects the enjoyment of human rights. While all human rights issues will be addressed in the subject, an emphasis will be placed on climate displacement, an understanding of the dynamics of climate displacement, the countries that are now and will in future be most heavily affected and the legal and policy measures that will be required to ensure that all climate-displaced persons are afforded rights-based and viable solutions to their displacement. By approaching this challenging issue in this manner, the subject will provide students with an in-depth understanding of the legal issues involved, how they can be invoked and where work is under way today to protect human rights in the era of climate change in which we all now live. There will be an emphasis on several of the most affected countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Kiribati, Maldives, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United States.
Principal topics include:
- Climate change and human rights: theory, perspectives and predictions
- The reality of the human rights impacts of climate change
- International law and climate change
- Housing, land and property rights dimensions of climate displacement
- Climate change solutions in practice: protecting the rights of communities threatened by climate change; role-play classroom exercises on resolving climate displacement
- Human rights mechanisms for addressing climate displacement
- Land acquisition as a primary solution to climate displacement
- Classroom debate on a new convention on human rights and climate change: good or bad idea?
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject will:
- Have an advanced understanding the phenomenon of climate change, its likely scale, the countries most heavily affected, how it manifests and the role of international human rights law in finding solutions to resolve climate displacement
- Have a sophisticated appreciation of the problems and the potential of international law, in particular human rights law, with respect to addressing climate displacement and the human rights of those affected
- Understand the particular human rights challenges facing the most heavily affected countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Kiribati, Maldives, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, the United States and how these may best be addressed through a legal and human rights approach
- Understand the key actors in the area of climate displacement including human rights treaty bodies, UN agencies, national governments, civil society actors and affected communities
- Broadly understand the complex relationships between climate change, displacement and the application of human rights and other laws in the search for solutions
- Be able to directly apply international human rights laws to discrete situations of climate displacement.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Melbourne Law Masters Students: None
JD Students: Successful completion of the below subject:
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50049 | International Human Rights Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are offered in the discipline of law at an advanced graduate level. While every effort will be made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, concessions will not be made in the general level of instruction or assessment. Most subjects assume the knowledge usually acquired in a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent). Applicants should note that admission to some subjects in the Melbourne Law Masters will be dependent upon the individual applicant’s educational background and professional experience.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Additional details
- Class participation (10%)
- 7,500 - 9,000 word research paper (90%) (13 December) on a topic approved by the subject coordinator
A minimum of 75% attendance is a hurdle requirement.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
Not available in 2018
Time commitment details
136-150 hours The pre-teaching period commences four weeks before the subject commencement date. From this time, students are expected to access and review the Reading Guide that will be available from the LMS subject page and the subject materials provided by the subject coordinator, which will be available from Melbourne Law School. Refer to the Reading Guide for confirmation of which resources need to be read and what other preparation is required before the teaching period commences.
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students. Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Specialist printed materials will be made available free of charge from the Melbourne Law School prior to the pre-teaching period.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- Links to additional information
law.unimelb.edu.au
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
If required, please contact law-admissions@unimelb.edu.au for subject coordinator approval.
Last updated: 3 November 2022