INTERNATIONAL LAW

The course (International Law) will introduce students to public international law, covering principles and rules governing the interactions between States and other international actors (Part I), with a special focus on selected themes (international human rights law, international institutional law) as specified below (Detailed Course Content) in Part II.

Through the analysis of case studies, the course aims also at enhancing the students’ ability to deal with international practice and case-law, and to develop a critical approach towards current major debated issues.

Lectures, Seminars, Case-studies discussion groups.

The course includes lectures and in-class discussions and is framed in two parts.

The Part I introduces a global understanding of the core issues of public international law: origins, nature and boundaries of international law; law-making, interpretation and enforcement mechanisms (subjects, sources, guarantees/remedies).

The Part II of the course provides a focused analysis of international human rights law (a) and of international institutional law (b).

Part I:

- Introduction and Overview: the scope and nature of international law; Subjects, Sources and Guarantees of modern international law; how international law is made; States and the idea of international subjectivity;

- the contents of international norms; how international law is invoked and applied; international responsibility regimes.

Part II

(a) International Human Rights Law | an introduction to the international law of human rights and to its actors, norms, processes and institutions in the evolution of the international community;

(b) International Institutional Law | an introduction to the law of international organisations as political and legal actors and to the evolving roles of institutional cooperation in a transnational legal perspective.

To get ready for the final exam, the study of one of the thematic profiles (a or b) recommended in Part II is required.

Please consider one of the following tracks:

Track 1)

• R. Sapienza, Diritto internazionale. Quattro pezzi facili, Giappichelli, Torino 2013 (Part I) and
• S. Zappalà, La tutela internazionale dei diritti umani, Il Mulino, Bologna 2011 (Part II)

Track 2)

• V. Lowe, International Law: a Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press 2015 (Part I) and
• J. Klabbers, Advanced Introduction to the Law of International Organizations, Edward Elgar, Chentelham, UK, 2015 (Part II);

Track 3)

• F.M. Palombino, Introduzione al diritto internazionale, Laterza, Bari, 2019 (Part I), and
• R. Pisillo Mazzeschi, Diritto internazionale dei diritti umani, Teoria e Prassi, Giappichelli, Torino 2020, pp. 1-100; 279-227; 294-305; 313-374 (Part II)

Materials

Relevant primary materials (treaties, resolutions, judgments/decisions of international courts etc) are freely available on line. Useful websites and suggested additional readings will be indicated for each topic through the on line Blackboard page Studium.

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).

All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the Library.