B5581 - INTERNATIONAL LAW (ADVANCED)

Learning outcomes

The course focuses on some particularly relevant, sensitive or controversial current aspects of international relations from a legal point of view. At the end of the course, the student is expected to possess the skills and tools necessary for the interpretation and resolution of cases, also taken from international practice, relating to these aspects.

Course contents

In the academic year 2026/27, the course will focus on the study of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Emphasis will be placed on the functioning of the European protection system and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, particularly with regard to the protection of certain vulnerable groups, such as migrant asylum seekers or members of the LGBTI+ community. By the end of the course, students are expected to understand the European protection system and have adequate skills in addressing and resolving legal protection issues related to violations of the rights protected by the Convention.

The course is organized into two distinct sections. One section consists of lectures (20 hours) and aims to introduce students to the basic conceptual and theoretical tools relating, in particular, to the functioning of the European protection system. Another section, organized as a seminar (20 hours), focuses on applying and deepening knowledge through the study of case law regarding the protection of particularly vulnerable groups, such as asylum seekers and migrants, members of the LGBTI+ community, etc.

For the seminar section, students are required to come to class having already read the assigned material. Active participation is required, starting with the use of knowledge acquired through individual readings to develop in-depth thematic discussions or case studies.

The course is part of the University's educational innovation project.

Program for the first section:

1. The Council of Europe and the objective of protecting human rights.

2. The European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms: the functioning of the protection mechanism (eligibility conditions for filing applications; applications processing mechanism).

3. The European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms: the effects of ECHR rulings and their implementation in the legal systems of the State Parties.

Second Section Program:

The second section will focus on examining the most significant cases concerning the protection of persons belonging to particularly vulnerable groups, such as asylum seekers and migrants, members of the LGBTI+ community, etc.

Regarding both sections, additional material will be available on Virtuale.

Readings/Bibliography

The complete list of texts for both the first and second sections will be communicated in class at the beginning of the semester and posted on Virtuale.

As a reference for the entire course, the following books may be useful:

Janneke Gerards, General principles of the European Convention on human rights, Cambridge, 2023.

Marco Balboni (ed.), An Introduction: the Principle of Non-Discrimination in the Framework of the European Convention on Human Rights, in The ECHR and the Principle of Non-Discrimination, Naples, 2017.

Regular consultation of the following free online resources is highly recommended:

https://www.echr.coe.int

https://curia.europa.eu

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures, case law analysis and seminars.

Assessment methods

The assessment will be carried through different methods. The course convenor will take into account the level of proactive participation of students and, when requested, their preparation of course materials before attending classes. At the end of the course, a final written test will be submitted to attending students in order to evaluate the acquired knowledge. Students who will not participate actively to the course will be assessed though a traditional final oral interview.

Finally, students should be aware that the final grade can be rejected only once. Moreover, according to the Ethical Code of the University of Bologna (art. 25.2), students are called to adopt an appropriate behaviour during midterm and final exams.

Teaching tools

Virtuale, EOL and, in case of need, MS Teams or Zoom. Additional teaching tools will be communicated in class.

 

For exchange students: the admission to optional courses of the LM/Master IR is allowed to incoming students at Master level (or fourth year of their BA).

As for other undergraduate students, in order to attend and pass the exam with proficiency, they must demonstrate to the Professor having already acquired competences in the disciplines of European Law in their respective Transcripts, especially relating to European Convention of Human Rights and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Marco Balboni