LW3IGS: International Law and Global Security

Module code: LW3IGS

Module provider: School of Law

Credits: 20

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Alex Gilder, email: a.f.gilder@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 29 August 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module examines the role and relevance of international law to fundamental questions of global security. Various crucial sub-areas of international law relate to global security concerns. This module will explore a number of these areas in depth, although the exact areas covered may change slightly each year. The core focus of the module, across relevant areas, is the assessment of international law’s ability to respond to global security concerns. The module also gives students the opportunity to engage with the process of a key global security mechanism through a practical assessment on resolving a global security crisis.

This module aims to expose students to a range of perspectives within and beyond international law that engage with questions of global security. It will not only provide a descriptive account of various areas of international law, but also ensure that students are able to analyse and to critique the ability of international law and the broader international system to respond to global security crises. We will consider the role of different actors such as states, regional organisations, NGOs, and corporations, and also discuss issues of national security to wider human security at the local, regional and global levels. Students will develop an understanding of international law’s application to areas of global security in practice. We will examine geographic case studies of contemporary security issues and immerse students in the practicalities of resolving a global security crisis.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a substantive knowledge of a number of sub-areas of international law that engage questions of global security.
2. Debate and critique the relative merits and demerits of these sub-areas of international law, particularly in terms of their ability to respond to global security challenges in specific case studies. 
3. Demonstrate an ability to engage with the processes of the international legal system in the context of a security crisis by providing practical, authentic advice to an international organisation.

Module content

The module will usually cover topics such as the following, although exact topics may vary slightly from year to year:

• Military Interventions
• UN Peace Operations
• Terrorism
• Nuclear Weapons
• International Cyber Law
• UN Human Rights Systems
• UN Accountability
• Disaster Risk Management

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module is taught by 22 hours of lectures and associated activities, five 2-hour tutorials, and 8 hours of blended activities.

Study hours

At least 32 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students will have the opportunity to write a 4-page non-assessed essay formatted in accordance with the rules set out in the Law School Guide (programme assessment). The formative takes place in Semester 1 to ensure students have feedback that they can feed forward into the summative assessments.

Reassessment

Additional costs