20110242 - International protection of human rights,legal clinic

The course is a legal clinic in the filed of international human rights law. It works on projects that, in the said field, have a clear social justice aim. In this academic year, two projects have already been assigned to the clinic but further projects are being agreed upon. As to the already approved projects: the first originates from the Memorandum of Understanding concluded between the Department and the Rome Tribunal, XVIII Specialized section on individuals rights and immigration, meant to support the Tribunal in the drafting of so-called "Country of Origin Information" reports; the second project originates from the "Transnational Listing Project", in cooperation with Kent University (UK). Students participate in the drafting of petitions before the Office of the Ombudsperson of the Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.
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Programme

The course is a legal clinic in the filed of international human rights law. It works on projects that, in the said field, have a clear social justice aim. In this academic year, two projects have already been assigned to the clinic but further projects are being agreed upon. As to the already approved projects: the first originates from the Memorandum of Understanding concluded between the Department and the Rome Tribunal, XVIII Specialized section on individuals rights and immigration, meant to support the Tribunal in the drafting of so-called "Country of Origin Information" reports; the second project originates from the "Transnational Listing Project", in cooperation with Kent University (UK). Students participate in the drafting of petitions before the Office of the Ombudsperson of the Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.

Against this background, the program is composed of two phases. In the first phase (first three weeks), students get acquainted with the competences necessary to work on the projects. Accordingly, the following three aspects are particularly touched upon: legal framework (rules, practice and institutions); methodology of research in international law; drafting skills. In the second phase, the class works as a laboratory, during which drafts prepared by students are discussed.

Core Documentation

The course does not require the study of a specific textbook, as documents to be studied depend on the projects entrusted to the clinic. Please see the bibliography for the readings suggested in the present year.

Type of delivery of the course

The first phase of the course (three weeks) consists of frontal lessons. During the second phase, the class discusses the drafts elaborated by the students (legal researches, translations, drafts of petitions/amicus curiae briefs/applications, gathering of information).

Attendance

Students must attend lessons.

Type of evaluation

The students enrolled in the course will draft written papers on a weekly basis. These drafts may be legal researches, translations, drafts in the context of the lodging of petitions and applications before international jurisdictions and organs, gathering of information on selected States and themes (e.g. women rights, domestic violence, LGBTQI rights, armed conflicts). These drafts constitute the outputs of the project and are evaluated weekly.