MINOR ACTS Notes

COURSE CONTENTS

• The ArbitrationAct, 1940
• The Suit ValuationAct,1887
• The Court Fee Act, 1870
• Rent Laws

AIM & OBJECTIVES

Human Rights Law is a distinct area of law and raises a number of challenging questions for lawyers: how can international human rights standards be implemented across diverse cultures, nations religions, economic systems? What rights and responsibilities does the individual have under international law? What is the relationship between state sovereignty and human rights? These question are a matter of concern not only to international lawyers but also to all those interested in understanding the difficulties that arise in proctecting human rights at an international level.
Part one of the Human Rights course introduces students to the international system for the protection of human rights as developed through the United Nations system post-1945. Student are introduced to the theoretical and practical problem that arise when attempting to enforce international standard for the protection of human rights

COURSE CONTENTS

Historical development of International Human Rights Law
The Normative Framework of international Human Rights Law: The UN System for the Protection of Human Rights
Regional Systems for human Rights Protection:

• Inter-American System
• African Charter of Human ad Peoples Rights
• European Human Rights System
• A regional Human Rights approach to Human rights in Asia
• Universalism and cultural Relativism: Contemporary Debates
• Human Rights in Islam

SELECTED TOPICS

• The Death Penalty in International Law
• The right to the highest attainable standard of health
• The prohibition of torture in international Human rights laws
• Racism and international Law: the UN convention on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination: Racism and International Human Rights Law
• Discrimination Against women and international Human Rights Law
• The Rights of Refugees in International Law
• Children’s rights in international Law
• Terrorism and Human Rights
• The International Criminal Court

RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS

• Rehman J International Human Rights Law (Longman: 2002).
• Alston and Steiner International Human Rights in Context: law, Politics and morals, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000 (2nd Edition).
• Blackstone’s International Human Rights Documents (4th ed.) 2004 (for exam use)

OTHER USEFUL READINGS

• Robertson G, Crimes against humanity: the struggle for global justice (2nd ed. 2002)
• Harris D J, Cases and Materials in international Law (5th ed.) Chapter 9.avaliable Online http://www.hrw.org
• Amnesty International World Report http://www.amnesty.org
• Cassese A, International Law (2002), Ch.16.
• Charleswroth and chinkin, The Boundaries of international Law (2000) ch.7.

PERIODICALS

• Human Rights Quarterly
• International and Comparative Law Quarterly (ICLQ)
• American Journal of International Law (AJIL)
• International Legal Materials (ILM) (includes international legal instruments and case reports)
• Harvard Human Rights Journal (available on LEXIS-NEXIS)
• Columbia Journal of Human Rights Law (available on LEXIS-NEXIS)
• Reports. Judgments and Advisory Opinions of the International Court of Justice, ICJ Reps, Q+1 also Available at http://www.icj-cij.org