74
Åbo Akademi University 2014/2015
LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Law and Human
Rights
Studies in Public International Law deal with questions of
general importance, such as general concepts and principles
of public international law, international organizations, inter-
national human rights and interaction between international
and domestic law. It is possible to specialize in areas such as
humanitarian law, criminal law, EU law, law of the sea, envi-
ronmental law, human rights etc.
Public Law concentrates on constitutional and administrative
law, including issues of participation on the one hand and is-
sues of autonomy and sub-state arrangements on the other.
Special emphasis is put on questions related to local govern-
ment, civil servants, social security, community planning and
construction as well as administrative remedies.
Studies in Private Law are aimed at giving an insight into
national norms and principles, focusing, however, on inter-
national aspects especially as concerns questions related
to commerce, transport, and the environment. European
integration forms a natural part of the studies in this context.
TheDepartment of Lawat ÅboAkademi University, the Faculty
of Law and the Turku School of Economics at the University of
Turkuorganize a joint venture, called "Turku LawSchool" (TLS).
Exchange and degree students from both these universities
can freely choose among all English law courses provided
within TLS. Exchange students in law at Åbo Akademi Uni-
versity therefore have the possibility to also choose courses
organised by the University of Turku within TLS. The Depart-
ment of Law also participates as the National Coordinating
University in the European Master's Programme in Human
Rights and Democratisation (
/).
Institute for Human Rights
The Institute for Human Rights at Åbo Akademi University
operates within the Department of Law at Åbo Akademi
University. The Institute promotes research, provides educa-
tion and disseminates information relating to the protection
of human rights. Some of the courses offered by the Institute
for Human Rights have restricted entry - the selection of
participants is based on registration/application.
Master's Degree Programme in International
Human Rights Law
The Master's Degree Programme in International Human
Rights Law is offered by the Institute for Human Rights and
the Department of Law at Åbo Akademi University. The pro-
gramme is designed to equip its graduates for demanding
human rights law assignments in international organizations,
non-governmental organizations and in public administra-
tion, and for advanced human rights law research. The lan-
guage of instruction is English.
Doctoral Network on Realizing Human Rights
The Doctoral Network on Realizing Human Rights is coordi-
nated by the Institute for Human Rights and the Department
of Law at Åbo Akademi University. The aim is to offer its doc-
toral students a systematically built, scientifically ambitious,
andmultidisciplinary research educationwhich benefits from
Finnish, Nordic and international contacts. The Doctoral Net-
work is basedon the results achieved andpractices developed
within the FinnishGraduate School inHuman Rights Research
from 2002 until 2013.
International Protection of Human Rights
346115.0
10 credits
Intermediate/advanced level, please seeentry requirements
Lectured course
Offered: Autumn 2014
Lecturers: Catarina Krause, Programme Director and guest
lecturers
Contact: Catarina Krause,
Aim: The aim of the course is to provide a general overview
and discussion of the international system for the protection
of human rights.
Content: The course consists of lectures and case studies in
working-groups. The lectures will cover the following topics:
.
Human Rights and International Law
.
Human Rights in Domestic Legal Systems
.
Universal and Regional Human Rights Systems
.
United Nations Charter based System of Protection
.
United Nations Treaty based System of Protection
.
The Protection of Human Rights in the European System
.
The Protection of Human Rights in the Inter-American
System
.
The Protection of Human Rights in the African System
.
Economic and Social Rights
.
Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law
Learning outcomes: After the course the participants are
expected to:
- possess a good understanding of the international (universal
and regional) system of protection of international human
rights aswell as themain international conventions in the area
with regard particularly to the systems of protection and the
main characteristics of respective convention.
- Have good knowledge of a number of specific substantive
rights or issues
- be able to apply the knowledge gained in a factual situation
Mode of study: 30-40 hours of lectures, 6-10 hours of working-
group exercises as well as individual assignments and group
discussions on Moodle.
Form of assessment: Written exam (60 %), Individual as-
signments (30%) and active participation in working group
exercises and class discussions (10 %).
Target group: Students of law, international law or inter-
national relations in their 3rd year or later. Compulsory for
students taking part in the Master's Degree Programme in
International Human Rights Law.
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of human rights law, interna-
tional law or international relations is required of the partici-
pants. Exchange students need to be pre-approved for the
course. For information on pre-approval, please contact the
international office.
Entry requirements: Registration during first course session.
Should a student not be able to participate in the first ses-
sion, he or she should contact
before
the course starts.
Course literature:
1. International Protection of Human Rights: A textbook,
Catarina Krause &Martin Scheinin (eds.), Turku/Åbo: Institute
for Human Rights, Åbo Akademi University 2012.
2. Additional readings will be provided to the participants
during the course.
