International Human Rights Advocacy
LAWS6894
The unit aimed at students who would like to pursue academic and/or other careers as human right advocates both in the domestic private and government sectors as well as in the international arena. This postgraduate unit builds on the students' knowledge of public international law and in particular international human rights law by focusing on and analysing the multifaceted and diverse jurisprudence developed by a range of organisations including the United Nation's Treaty Bodies, International Tribunals and Non-Governmental Organisations. Theoretically, international human rights are indivisible, inalienable and universal. However, human rights of some individuals and groups are routinely abused, downgraded, or watered down by States, corporations or other individuals. This unit of study primarily considers how human rights lawyers, advocates and scholars, in response to such abuses, formulate and present arguments before international and domestic for a and analysis the ever-expanding human rights law jurisprudence developed as a result of such advocacy and/or litigation. To this end, students will deepen their theoretical knowledge of the fundamental norms of international human rights law and its requisite machinery. As an ancillary learning objective, students also endeavour to integrate the above knowledge with the practicalities of human rights advocacy and its relationship to: democracy and the political arena; the exercise and dynamics of power; rights and citizenship; and citizen education and action. Students should gain detailed insights into: identification of issues and their prioritisation; contextual analysis; setting of goals, various advocacy strategies, publicity avenues as well as program evaluation/feedback and fundraising. The unit will focus on and critique a number of legal advocacy strategies and techniques in domestic and international fora. This unit of study will include scholarly readings, case studies, guest speakers, simulations and on-line discussion forums. Students will be expected to complete a paper in an area covered in the unit.
Unit of study details
Unit of study level: Postgraduate
Credit points: 6
Commencing semesters: 109
Further unit of study information
Unit of study handbook: LAWS6894
Costs and scholarships information: Costs and Scholarships
Final dates to withdraw from units of study: Census Dates
Available for study abroad and exchange: No