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Course Listing
International Humanitarian Law
Last Updated Date: 28 June 2023
5 Units, Semester 1
Course Description:
International Humanitarian law (IHL), also known as the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) is that part of Public International Law that establishes the principles for the conduct of hostilities during armed conflicts, regardless whether this occurs between states or between non-state actors. It determines the legality of means and methods of warfare and treatment of non-combatants such as prisoners-of-war, civilians and neutrals, including the environment, during armed conflicts. This course examines the fundamental concepts of IHL and its development up to the present day. It seeks to enable a critical understanding of IHL by examining factors that influenced its development and the manner it is practiced from ancient times to the present day. The emphasis will be on international instruments which establish present day rules of IHL such as the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, the various Geneva Conventions, the 1972 Biological Warfare Convention, the 1977 Geneva Protocols and subsequent IHL instruments such as the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention, the 1996 Conventional Weapons Convention; the 1997 Landmines Convention and the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. The modalities for the enforcement of IHL such as domestic courts and international tribunals, with a focus on the International Criminal Court will be considered. The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine will be examined for critical lessons for the application of IHL as well as the challenges faced by IHL in today’s world.
Course Convenor: Adjunct Prof Jeffrey Chan Wah Teck, S.C.
Co-teacher(s): NA
Course Codes: LL4251V / LL5251V / LL6251V / LLJ5251V
Contact Hours: 3 hr weekly seminars
Workload: 3 hour
Mode of Assessment: Class Participation - 30% & 6-hr Take Home Exam - 70% [Release: Thu, 23 Nov 2023 (4pm); Due: Thu, 23 Nov 2023 (10pm)]
Preclusions: Nil
Prerequisites: NUS Compulsory Core Law Curriculum or common law equivalent. This course complements the Public International Law (PIL) course and those who have not completed the PIL course are strongly urged to acquaint themselves with the fundamentals of PIL before embarking on this course. Additionally, all participants should have an interest in current affairs and continuously keep abreast of international developments.
Examination Date: Different Mode of Examination
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