You are on page 1of 4

International Law

POL204, 2nd Term, 2003-04 Lecturer: Dr. Y. Ren


Tel.: 2616-7174 (Office: SO316) e-mail: renyue@ln.edu.hk

This course is taught under the assumption that most of our students attending this
course do not intend to enter law schools or the employment of an international agency after
their graduation. They take International Law because it is an alternative to fulfil the
necessary credits or they believe it is something different. This course is therefore designed
to accomplish two aims: 1) to broaden students=knowledge structure necessary for the inter-
disciplinary-oriented degree programs; and, 2) to help students develop new approaches in
dealing with various problems and puzzles that they are likely to face in their future career.

This course is composed of a two-hour lecture and a fifty-minute tutorial each week.
In the lectures, some basic concepts of international law will be introduced and discussed.
Except for the first lecture, it is very important that students read the assigned materials (or
the related materials) before each class (usually no more than 20 pages per week). This
should enable us to optimise the rather limited lecture hours and understand the lectures
better. As an integrated part of the course, the tutorial session demands everyones active
participation. A list of international legal issues shall be distributed in advance and mock
chambers of ICJ or other judicial bodies shall be formed among the students from time to
time to render decisions or give advisory opinions on the legal questions concerned. By the
end of the semester, students are requested to write an essay of no more than 5 pages (typed,
double-spaced and spelling-checked) based on the topics covered. 40% of the final grade will
be attributed to students performances in the tutorials (including the essay). The other 60%
will be based on the final exam. No absence from class is allowed without the instructors
prior permission.

There are a few required or recommended books to help the students to understand the
contents of the lectures. Lecture notes and cases will be distributed at each class session.

Required or Recommended Readings:
Peter Malanczuks Akehurst's Modern I ntroduction to I nternational Law, 7th ed.
(London: Routledge, 1997)

L. Henkin, R.C. Pugh, O. Schachter, H. Smit, International Law: Cases and Materials,
3rd ed. (St. Paul: West Publishing Co., 1993)

Martin Dixon and Robert McCorquodale, Cases and Materials on I nternational Law,
2nd ed. (London: Blackstone, 1995)

Gerhard von Glahn, Law Among Nations, 7th ed. (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1996)

J. G. Starke, Introduction to International Law, 10th ed. (London: Butterworths, 1989)

http://www.virtual-institute.de/en/LINK/ePILVR.cfm

http://news.findlaw.com/


1
I. Introduction: Is International Law A Law?

(No required reading)
Supplementary readings:
Malanczuk, 1-8; Dixon & McCorquodale, 1-5, 12-19; von Glahn, 2-9; Starke, 3-18.

II. Sources of International Law

Required reading:
Malanczuk, 35-52

Supplementary readings:
Dixon & McCorquodale, 20-27, 42-45, 47, 48-52; Henkin et al., 51-52; von Glahn,
12-24.

III. Subjects of International Law

Required Reading:
Malanczuk, On Statehood, 75-82, On Other International Personalities, 91-104, On
Recognition, 82-90.

Supplementary readings:
Dixon & McCorquodale, On Statehood, 146-147, 148 (UN Charter Arts. 2, 4), 149-
151; On Other International Personalities, 152, 158-159; On State Recognition, 167-
169; Henkin et al., chs. 4, 5; Starke, 95-107, 108-114, 114-128 (skim over the
definitions of various kinds of states/territories); von Glahn, 50-65, 66-73.

IV. International Law and Municipal Law

Required Reading:
Malanczuk, 63-74; Dixon & McCorquodale, 106-109.

Supplementary readings:
Henkin et al., 149-154, 171-181; von Glahn, 34-45; Starke, 71-77, 77-85, 88-91.

V. State Sovereignty: Territory

Required Reading:
Malanczuk, On Acquisition, 147-154, On State Succession, 161-168.

Supplementary readings:
Dixon & McCorquodale, 279-280, 282, 293-297, 298-301, 309-314, On State
Succession, 67-69; Henkin et al., 286-293; von Glahn, 296-316, 92-100; Starke, 157-
177.

VI. State Sovereignty: Jurisdiction

Required Reading:

2
Malanczuk, 109-115, 116-117.

Supplementary reading
Dixon & McCorquodale, 318-319, 322-323, 323-330 (skim over state jurisdictional
rights), 336-340, 347-352; von Glahn, 146-154, 159-164, 167-171; Starke, 232-235;
Henkin et al., ch 12.

VII. Immunities

Required Reading:
Malanczuk, 118-129.

Supplementary readings:
Dixon & McCorquodale, 353-358, 366-371, 388-393, 393-396, 402-403; Henkin et
al., 1201-1208, 1211-1214; von Glahn, 107-118.

VIII. Treaties

Required Reading:
Malanczuk, 130-146.

Supplementary readings:
Dixon & McCorquodale, 55-56, 61-67, 70-72, 80-81, 90-93, 95-99; Starke, ch 16; von
Glahn, ch 17; Henkin et al., ch 6.

IX. The Law of the Sea

Required Reading:
Malanczuk, 173-197.

Supplementary readings:
Dixon & McCorquodale, 406-410, 412-414, 417, 418-422, 432-436, 451-456; Henkin
et al., 1231-1237, 1240-1249, 1253-1257; von Glahn, ch 15.

X. The Use of Force

Required Reading:
Malanczuk, 306, 309-318, 346-350, 385-390.

Supplementary readings:
Malanczuk, 390-415, 416-425; Dixon & McCorquodale, 559-562, 568-571, 576-581,
585, 586-587, 591-593; Henkin et al., ch 11; von Glahn, ch 20.

XI. Peaceful Settlement of Disputes

Required Reading:
Malanczuk, 273-295.


3
Supplementary readings:
Dixon & McCorquodale, 600-601, 602-606, 608-611, 626-627; Starke, 485-519; von
Glahn, ch 18.

XII. Human Rights Law

Required Reading:
Malanczuk, 209-221.

Supplementary readings:
Dixon & McCorquodale, 192-196, 203-209, 214-217; Henkin et al., ch 8; von Glahn,
175-187.

XIII. Economic Relations and Environmental Law (Optional)

Required Reading:
Malanczuk, 222-240, 241-253.

(No supplementary reading)

XIV. General Review (Optional)

4

You might also like