Useful links
Unit of study_
LAWS1023: Public International Law
2025 unit information
The compulsory unit of study is an introduction to the general problems, sources and techniques of public international law. The unit surveys the fundamental rules and principles of public international law through an examination of the following topics (1) the nature, function and scope of public international law, (2) the sources of public international law, (3) the law of treaties including principles of treaty interpretation, (4) the relationship between public international law and municipal law, (5) the extent of civil and criminal state jurisdiction, (6) immunities from state jurisdiction including diplomatic privileges and immunities (7) state responsibility, including diplomatic protection, nationality of claims and exhaustion of local remedies, (8) regulation of the use of force in international relations, and (9) dispute settlement.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Law School
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Law |
| Credit points | 6 |
|
Prerequisites:
?
|
LAWS1006 or LAWS1025 |
|---|---|
|
Corequisites:
?
|
None |
| Prohibitions:
?
|
LAWS5005 |
| Assumed knowledge:
?
|
None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Identify and evaluate the sources of public international law, including the law of treaties, and the relationship between them.
- LO2. Identify and evaluate to an advanced level the relationship between public international law and Australian domestic law.
- LO3. Critically analyse and address rules and principles of international law concerning international legal personality, statehood, self-determination, acquisition of territory, state immunity, state jurisdiction, state responsibility, the use of armed force, and the resolution of international disputes.
- LO4. Apply fundamental rules and principles of public international law in innovative ways to analyse complex and real-world factual scenarios.
- LO5. Evaluate and think critically about the strengths and limitations of public international law as a legal system.
- LO6. Convey your knowledge, understanding, analysis and evaluation of public international law both orally and in writing in a clear and logical manner using plain and concise language.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Semester 1 2025
|
Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
|
Find your current year census dates
Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
