Human Rights and Global Justice (LAWS90160)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2021
Please refer to the return to campus page for more information on these delivery modes and students who can enrol in each mode based on their location.
About this subject
Overview
| Fees | Look up fees |
|---|
We live in a period of rising scepticism concerning human rights, their foundations, purposes and efficacy. Yet, the language and law of human rights remains one of the truly global languages of political, moral and legal claim-making. This course will unpack and examine the tensions and contradictions of contemporary human rights law and politics. It will first consider the historical origins of contemporary human rights frameworks, with special attention to the polemical debates about the origins of human rights. It will then examine various theories of human rights and their foundations, and as the question: what is global justice and what do human rights have to do with it? Finally, the course will inquire into the utility and uses of rights to challenge harms widely perceived as instances of global injustice: inequality and uneven development, labour exploitation and military occupation. In the end, we will ask, what can we expect from human rights law today?
Principal topics will include:
- The history of human rights law and practice
- Theories of human rights and global justice
- Human rights and inequality
- Human rights and labour exploitation
- Human rights and military occupation
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject will:
- Be able to comprehend, synthesize and critically analyse the state of the art literature on the history and theory of human rights.
- Be able to understand and critically reflect upon concepts and theories of global justice
- Be able to reflect critically on current debates concerning the utility of human rights in addressing problems of global justice and injustice.
- Be able to understand contemporary debates about the effectiveness of human rights law in addressing problems of global justice and develop their own analysis of such debates.
- Understand and be able to engage in a sophisticated manner the human rights legal frameworks used to address problems of global justice, and to critically evaluate such legal arguments.
Last updated: 8 November 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Students are recommended to have completed the subject International Human Rights Law or equivalent.
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 Melbourne Law Masters welcomes applications from students with disabilities. The inherent academic requirements for study in the Melbourne Law Masters are:
- The ability to attend a minimum of 75% of classes and actively engage in the analysis and critique of complex materials and debate;
- The ability to read, analyse and comprehend complex written legal materials and complex interdisciplinary materials;
- The ability to clearly and independently communicate in writing a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and to critically evaluate these;
- The ability to clearly and independently communicate orally a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and critically evaluate these;
- The ability to work independently and as a part of a group;
- The ability to present orally and in writing legal analysis to a professional standard.
Students who feel their disability will inhibit them from meeting these inherent academic requirements are encouraged to contact Student Equity and Disability Support.
Last updated: 8 November 2024
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Assessment 1: Class participation based on engagement with class discussion and presentation of two readings | Throughout the teaching period | 20% |
Assessment 2, Option 1: Take-home exam
| 17 - 20 January 2020 | 80% |
Assessment 2, Option 2: Research paper on topic to be agreed with subject coordinator
| 26 February 2020 | 80% |
| Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Additional details
Note: Students must choose an option for Assessment 2 from the options listed above.
Last updated: 8 November 2024
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
Not available in 2021
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students.
Enrolment is on a first come, first served basis. Waitlists are maintained for subjects that are fully subscribed.
Students should note priority of places in subjects will be given as follows:
- To currently enrolled Graduate Diploma and Masters students with a satisfactory record in their degree
- To other students enrolling on a single subject basis, eg Community Access Program (CAP) students, cross-institutional study and cross-faculty study.
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
Last updated: 8 November 2024
Further information
- Texts
- Links to additional information
- 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.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 8 November 2024