The Catholic University of Louvain (UCL) is offering a free online course on International Law. Applicants who want to enroll in this course should have knowledge of how to learn about the Law of the International Community, including how International Law is created, applied and upheld in today’s world.
This course will teach you what international law is, the role it plays in the world today, how it can be used. You will also gain knowledge to help you better discern legal arguments within the flow of international news and reports.
Course At a Glance
Length: 12 weeks
Effort: 6-8 hours per week
Subject: Law
Institution: The Catholic University of Louvain
Languages: English
Price: Free
Certificate Available: Yes, Add a Verified Certificate for $150
Session: Self-Paced
Providers’ Details
The Catholic University of Louvain (UCL), founded in 1425, is one of Europe’s oldest universities. The university has more than 28,000 students from the bachelor’s level to doctorate and adult continuing education, in all disciplines. With its main campus located in Louvain-la-Neuve, next to Brussels, the university attracts every year 5,000 international students from more than 120 countries.
About This Course
This law course will extensively rely on judgments and advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).
Having acquired a basic knowledge of international law, you’ll find it easier to comprehend this subject in future international law sub-fields, like international human rights, international humanitarian law or international investment law.
This course is part of the International Law MicroMasters Program that is designed to give learners a critical understanding of how international relations between States and individuals are dealt with, regarding the law.
Course Syllabus
1. Introducing International Law
1.1. What is an International law
1.2. A brief history
1.3. International law as a common language
2. Setting the International Law Stage
2.1. States
2.2. International Organizations
2.3. United Nations
3. Making International Law (part 1)
3.1. Introduction: the theory of sources
3.2. The problem of International Law-making
3.3. Customary International Law
4. Making International Law (part 2)
4.1. International Treaties
4.2. The Validity of Treaties
4.3. General Principles
4.4. Unilateral Acts
4.5. Soft-Law
5. Applying International Law
5.1. The binding force of International Law
5.2. Interpreting International Law
5.3. Conflicting obligations
5.4. Applying International Law, including in domestic law
6. Claiming responsibility
6.1. The Notion of Responsibility and the Concept of Internationally Wrongful Act
6.2. Attribution of Internationally Wrongful Act
6.3. Responsibility and New Obligations
6.4. Invoking Responsibility
6.5. Countermeasures
7. Seeking Justice
7.1. Pacific Settlement of Disputes
7.2. Arbitration
7.3. The International Court of Justice (Jurisdiction)
7.4. The International Court of Justice (Procedure)
7.5. The International Criminal Court
7.6. International Immunities before Domestic Courts
8. Upholding Peace
8.1. The Outlawry of War
8.2. Self-Defence
8.3. Collective Security
8.4. The Use of Force and the United Nations
Learning Outcomes
- How, and by whom, international law is made, by whom it must be respected, and how it is applied
- What happens when binding rules are breached and how is it possible to seek justice in this world
Instructors
Pierre d’Argent is a full professor at the University of Louvain in Belgium, where he holds the Public International Law Chair. He is also a guest professor at Leiden University in the Netherlands.
Prerequisites
No prior knowledge of international law is required. However, students should be familiar with the requirements of graduate-level courses and should preferably have already followed some law courses in order to be familiar with legal concepts and legal language.
How To Join This Course
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