Courses - ILP: International Criminal Law LAWS 2709   ILP: International Criminal Law
CREDIT HOURS: 3
This course introduces students to the law governing the conduct of armed conflict and to the crimes for which individuals incur individual criminal responsibility under international law, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The law of armed conflict, or international humanitarian law, is a set of rules which seeks to limit the effects of armed conflict. It protects persons who are not or are no longer participating in hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare that may be employed by parties to a conflict. International humanitarian law faces a number of challenges in contemporary armed conflicts, which differ significantly from the types of conflicts that were prevalent when this body of law was first developed. A recent approach to addressing certain violations of international humanitarian law has been the establishment of international criminal tribunals and mixed international / domestic tribunals tasked with prosecuting individuals allegedly responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law and other serious international crimes. The first part of the course will examine the history, principles, operation and application of international humanitarian law. The second part of the course will focus on the development of the law applicable to individual criminal responsibility, immunity, substantive elements of crimes, and certain modes of liability under international criminal law.
NOTES: This course is part of the Public International Law stream in the Queen’s/Dalhousie International Law Program (ILP), which takes place in Europe in May and June. The ILP combines an 8-week intensive academic program in international law with field study visits to law firms, international organizations, and international courts. Dalhousie students earn nine credits for successfully completing the program, which can be counted towards 2L or 3L credit requirements. ILP courses do not count as major paper courses, nor do they count towards Certificate requirements. Grades earned through the ILP will not be included in a Dalhousie student’s overall weighted average for any purpose, including eligibility for scholarships or supplemental exams. Applications are usually due near the end of the Fall term, although late applications can sometimes be accepted. Tuition and fees are paid to Queen’s University. There is an ILP information session held in the fall term at the Schulich School of Law each year. Students wishing to participate in this program must schedule an academic advising appointment with the office of the Associate Dean (Academic). Further details about the program can be found on the International Law Program website: https://law.queensu.ca/programs/jd/international-learning/bisc.