Course Description

International Humanitarian Law (HL), also known as the law of armed conflict, serves as a crucial legal framework aimed at mitigating the devastating impact of armed conflicts. The primary purpose of IHL is to regulate and restrict the means and methods of warfare while also ensuring the safeguarding and humane treatment of individuals who are not, or are no longer, participating in the hostilities. Through lectures, seminars and practical exercises, the course intends to acquaint students with various essential aspects of IHL including its history, theory, and practice. The course will first investigate the historical, philosophical and conceptual foundations of IHL, its sources and scope of application. Students will then be introduced to the following topics: governing principles of IHL, types of armed conflicts, the law on occupation, the status of combatants and civilians under IHL, the means and methods employed in warfare within the frameworks of Geneva Law and the Hague Law and the implementation and enforcement of IHL on both international and domestic levels. Finally, the course will focus on some of the contemporary challenges to, and current debates on IHL including terrorism, privatization of war, and multinational forces.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will (be able to):

• Understand the historical, philosophical, and conceptual foundations of IHL;

• Identify, analyze, and effectively use various legal sources of IHL;

• Develop insights into the causes and legal consequences of armed conflicts;

• Gain a better understanding of the role that HL plays in armed conflict situations;

• Acquire an in-depth theoretical knowledge of political and legal challenges involved in enforcing international humanitarian law and international criminal law; • Foster awareness of some of the contemporary challenges to IHL today;

• Draw a scholarly balance between law and morality in challenging factual circumstances;

• Benefit from this course in their future career in State ministries, international nongovernmental organizations, international tribunals/courts and other similar institutions

*Course content subject to change