Master
2020/2021
Project seminar "Law of international treaties»
Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'
Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'
Type:
Compulsory course (Law of International Trade, Finance and Economic Integration)
Area of studies:
Law
Delivered by:
School of International Law
Where:
Faculty of Law
When:
1 year, 3, 4 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Master’s programme:
Law of International Trade, Finance and Economic Integration
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
5
Contact hours:
40
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This project seminar is an academic companion of the students’ project activities and is designed as training aimed to enable research and analytical work of its participants in the subject field of the Law of treaties. The project seminar comprises three parts. In the introductory part, students will have an opportunity to intensively refresh their knowledge on the Law of Treaties and gain an advanced ‘beyond the VCLT’ perspective on the contemporary legal regulation of different aspects of the treaty relations between states. This part is designed, as intensive problem-based coaching that will help students to dwell into the most topical issues of the Law of Treaties. During the second part for three months, participants of the course are supposed to work on their own projects in small teams. Finally, the last part of the Seminar is dedicated to the presentation, defense, and discussion of the projects.
Learning Objectives
- The main purpose of the project seminar is to train students’ abilities to carry out their own analytical and research projects in the subject field related to the Law of Treaties.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Students must gain knowledge on: ─ sources of Law of Treaties; ─ the scope of application and content of the main international treaties and customs governing drafting, application, interpretation, validity and termination of international treaties; ─ main approaches to the key issues of the Law of Treaties; ─ particularities of application of international treaties at the national level.
- Skills and abilities: ─ ability to use specific terms and sources of the Law of Treaties; ─ practical abilities to undertake a research and analysis of judicial decisions and legal writings; ─ skills to analyse and solve cases, build up of the legal position and compose procedural documents on cases in the sphere of Law of Treaties.
- Students should gain the following competences: ⎯ ability to work with information (search, evaluate, use information, necessary for fulfilment of scientific and professional tasks, from various sources, including application of the systematic approach); ⎯ ability to carry out professional activities in the international environment; ⎯ ability to search, analyse and work with legally relevant information by using of juridical, comparative and other specific methods;
Course Contents
- The Law of treaties in a Nutshell.1. Sources of the Law of Treaties. 2. The Law of Treaties: Treaties v. customs. 3. Codification of the Law of Treaties. 4. The Law of treaties: international meets national.
- Drafting a treaty1. Definition and legal nature of international treaties. 2. International treaties and non-binding agreements. 3. Titles of international treaties and their role. 4. Language of the treaties. 5. Drafting process.
- Applying a treaty1. Temporal scope of treaties. 2. Non-retroactivity rule and its exceptions. 3. Personal scope of treaties. 4. Pacta tertiis nec nocent nec prosunt principle. 5. Territorial scope of application. 6. A “federal clause” and its implications. 7. Provisional application of treaties. 8. Application of treaties, which did not enter into force. 9. Entry of treaties into force.
- Interpreting a treaty1. Means and methods of interpretation of treaties. 2. Effective interpretation of treaties. 3. Evolutionary interpretation of treaties. 4. A role of the subsequent practice. 5. Travaux préparatoires in intepretation of treaties.
- Modifying a treaty1. Reservations and interpretative declarations. 2. Making a reservation: its content, form and time. 3. Validity of reservations. 4. Objections to reservations. 5. Legal effects of reservations. 6. Procedural rules concerning reservations.
- Contesting and terminating a treaty1. Validity of a treaty. 2. Withdrawal from a treaty. 3. Termination of a treaty. 4. Suspension of a treaty. 5. Procedure to be followed with respect to invalidity, termination, withdrawal from or suspension of a treaty.
Assessment Elements
- Project, onlineProject paper (a legal memorandum or a draft academic article); Work in small teams; Length: 8 – 16 000 words; Footnotes are obligatory; Detailed requirements for the project papers will be send to students in advance.
- Classroom-based work. Online.Attendance, presentations during the seminars, participation in the peer-review procedure, and involvement in the discussions: 10 %
- Colloquium, online.Colloquium (in an oral form: discussion of both theoretical questions and topics represented by other students): 30 %
Interim Assessment
- Interim assessment (4 module)0.1 * Classroom-based work. Online. + 0.3 * Colloquium, online. + 0.6 * Project, online
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Dörr, O., & Schmalenbach, K. (2018). Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties : A Commentary (Vol. Second edition). Berlin, Germany: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1685794
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Bjørge, E. (2014). The Evolutionary Interpretation of Treaties. Oxford: OUP Oxford. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1540166
- Buga, I. (2018). Modification of Treaties by Subsequent Practice (Vol. First edition). Oxford, United Kingdom: OUP Oxford. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1776298