LAWS6977 – Law of International Institutions

Objectives

Examine the principal legal issues concerning organisations composed of states.
Examine the development of the United Nations.
Other universal as well as regional organisations will also be dealt with. This unit aims at helping students to understand the common legal problems faced by international institutions.

Content

The legal status and powers of organisations; membership and participation; norm-creation; dispute settlement; enforcement of decisions; peace and security activities; the organisations' privileges and immunities as well as their legal status and powers under national law; the creation of international criminal courts; the succession of Russia to the USSR's seat on the UN Security Council; the response to the break-up of Yugoslavia; targeted sanctions and the possibility of judicial review of acts of the UN Security Council; the success of WTO dispute settlement; NATO action against Serbia in 1999; the military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq in the aftermath of 9/11.

Session

Semester 1 Intensive
20, 21 & 25, 26 February 2013

The timetable is subject to frequent changes. Please refer to the latest version of the Postgraduate Timetable.

Assessment

Assignment (20%)
1 x 8,000 Word Essay or 2-Hour Exam (80%)

Assumed Knowledge

LAWS 6243 International Law I or equivalent unit Public International Law

Candidates who have previously completed GOVT6116 International Organisations are not permitted to enrol in this unit.

Textbook

Jan Klabbers, An Introduction to International Institutional Law. Cambridge (CUP, 2nd ed., 2009) Paperback (ISBN-13: 9780521736169)

Legal Professional Development (LPD)

You can credit this unit towards Legal Professional Development (LPD). Units of study that are part of Sydney Law School’s Postgraduate Program meet the necessary Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) of the Law Society of New South Wales and the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements of the New South Wales Bar Association. You may complete this unit of study by enrolling on a non-degree basis or on an audit basis only with no assessment via Single Unit Enrolment.