International Crimes and Gross Violations of Human Rights (6 ECTS)

Lecturer(s): prof. dr. A.L. Smeulers, Prof. Dr C.I. Fournet (coordinator)

When: Block 2

Brief course description:
Detailed legal and criminological study of specific international crimes and other gross human rights violations , including terrorism, and of the perpetrators of such atrocities. This course explores a diversity of mass violence crimes: war crimes, genocide, extermination, persecutions, feminicide, crimes of sexual violence, enforced disappearances, torture and terrorism. It overall adopts a two-fold (law and criminology) critical approach to fully grasp the concept of international criminality in terms of prohibited acts and human rights violations, protected victims and identity of perpetrators. Students will study the relevant legal instruments and case-law at the domestic, regional and international levels. They will also be taught how to critically reflect on criminological research and literature. This will provide them with a full understanding of the causes and true nature of these mass crimes and human rights violations. It will ultimately allow for the identification of the challenges faced by (international) criminal law and (international) human rights law in preventing, investigating and punishing international crimes and other gross human rights violations and for the assessment of the effectiveness of legal and enforcement measures at the international, regional and national levels.

Teaching method:
The module is divided into 14lectures of two hours each, requiring active participation of the whole group under guidance of the lecturer.

Assessment: Written exam (essay questions).

*Official course information and schedules during the academic year can be found in Ocasys.