Statelessness, Citizenship, and Identity (LAWS90283)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
September
Teaching staff:
Radha Govil (Subject Coordinator)
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
Overview
| Availability(Quotas apply) | September |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
This subject takes a deep dive into statelessness, a serious but little understood human rights issue affecting millions of people around the world, including in the Asia Pacific region. Key related concepts of citizenship, statelessness and legal identity will be discussed, as will the debate around the limits of State sovereignty when it comes to the right to nationality. The causes and consequences of statelessness will be unpacked, with a focus on the human impact of statelessness. We critically examine the international legal framework established to address statelessness, and we scrutinise past, present and possible future manifestations of statelessness with a view to understanding how these may be prevented or resolved.
Indicative list of principal topics:
- Key concepts and definitions: citizenship, statelessness, and legal identity,
- The right to belong? Ethical and Political Dimensions,
- Causes, consequences and the human impact of statelessness,
- The international legal framework governing statelessness,
- The protection of stateless persons in a migratory context,
- Solutions to statelessness: citizenship as the panacea?,
- Contemporary and future problems of statelessness: including ‘Citizenship stripping’ and climate change and nationality,
- International Development: Identity Management, Legal Identity and Human Rights.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject should be able to:
- Differentiate between fundamental concepts such as citizenship, statelessness, and legal identity, and critically assess their ethical and political implications,
- Examine the multifaceted causes and far-reaching societal consequences of statelessness, with a specific focus on the profound human impact of being without a nationality,
- Assess and analyse the protection of stateless persons within the context of migration, exploring issues related to displacement, asylum, and human rights,
- Evaluate domestic and international legal frameworks governing statelessness, including the rights and protections accorded to stateless individuals, and analyse the challenges in its implementation,
- Explore potential solutions to the issue of statelessness, including the role of citizenship as a remedy, and evaluate their viability in addressing the complex challenges posed by statelessness,
- Critically discuss and debate the implications of statelessness for international development, identity management, and human rights.
Generic skills
- Critically assess complex legal issues surrounding statelessness, evaluating the interplay between concepts like citizenship, sovereignty, and human rights, and forming well-reasoned and persuasive arguments based on evidence and research,
- Conducting thorough legal research to understand and interpret international legal frameworks and conventions related to statelessness, enabling effective analysis of cases, treaties, and scholarly works,
- Through in-depth study and discussion of statelessness within the framework of migration, security, and environmental challenges, students will develop the ability to critically assess how this complex issue shapes and is shaped by the ever-evolving fabric of contemporary society.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are taught at an advanced graduate level and requires a thorough background in common law. While efforts are made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, teaching and assessment activities are designed to give an advanced and integrated understanding of the discipline of law for legal practitioners, learners and researchers.
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: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Poster presentation
| During the teaching period | 30% |
Research Essay on a topic approved by the Subject Coordinator
| 12 November 2025 | 70% |
| Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance is required. | N/A |
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- September
Principal coordinator Radha Govil Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 34 Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 20 August 2025 Pre teaching requirements Please refer to the Reading Guide on the LMS subject page for confirmation of which resources need to be read and what other preparation is required before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 17 September 2025 to 23 September 2025 Last self-enrol date 25 August 2025 Census date 19 September 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 31 October 2025 Assessment period ends 5 December 2025 September contact information
Teaching staff:
Radha Govil (Subject Coordinator)
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters enrolment webpage for further information about re-enrolment, subject quotas and waitlists.
Melbourne Law School may reserve places in a subject for incoming international cohorts or where a subject is core to a specialisation with limited alternate options.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Human Rights Law Course Graduate Diploma in Human Rights Law Course Master of Laws Course Graduate Diploma in Laws Course Juris Doctor - 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.
Additional information for this subject
If subject coordinator approval is required, or for further information about Community Access Program study, please contact us
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 4 March 2025