Course Outline

LAW209 International Law

Course Coordinator:Justine Poon (jpoon@usc.edu.au) School:School of Law and Society

2026Trimester 2

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Online

Online You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement.

Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

Laws cross national jurisdictional borders when they are laws of an international character or when their parties, matters, and impacts include multiple legal orders. This course provides students with an overview of how different kinds of international law overlap with the domestic legal order. Public international law governs the relations between nation states and includes international norms around human rights and the prevention of conflict. Private international law refers to situations where disputes arising under domestic laws include connections and conflicts with other jurisdictions. 

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Online Learning Materials 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On-Campus Tutorial 2hrs Week 2 10 times
Online
Learning materials – Online Learning Materials 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Online Tutorial 2hrs Week 2 10 times

Course Topics

International Law is a course exploring the principles and norms that govern the conduct of states, international organizations, and individuals in the global arena. Through in-depth analysis of treaties, customary law, and landmark cases, you will gain a profound understanding of the legal framework shaping international relations and the resolution of cross-border disputes. Specifically, this course will analyse:

  • Public International Law – What is public international law and how does it shape legal interactions with the Australian State, its organisations and individuals? (History and Principles of International Law, Subjects and Actors, Sources of International Law Obligations, Institutions of the International Legal Order, State Responsibility and Dispute Resolution)
  • Private International Law – What is private international law and how does it impact upon legal relations within the private sphere? (Principles of Private International Law, Jurisdiction, Foreign Judgments, Choice of Law, Application and Impacts)

 

What level is this course?

200 Level (Developing)

Building on and expanding the scope of introductory knowledge and skills, developing breadth or depth and applying knowledge and skills in a new context. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally, undertaken in the second or third full-time year of an undergraduate programs.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Analyse facts to identify legal issues within complex international law scenarios. Knowledgeable
Empowered
2 Explain the relevant laws, processes and concepts of international law to resolve a legal issue. Knowledgeable
3 Utilize critical thinking, analysis, and sound judgment to apply legal knowledge effectively in diverse contexts, generating appropriate and practical responses to complex problems and ethical issues. Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
Ethical
4 Demonstrate effective, persuasive, and contextually appropriate written and oral communication. Empowered
5 Develop and demonstrate effective presentation skills, including proper referencing and citation techniques, to communicate legal information accurately and professionally. Empowered
6 Research, critically evaluate, and integrate authoritative sources in support of well-substantiated legal arguments. Creative and critical thinker
7 Collaborate effectively by actively participating and contributing to group tasks. Knowledgeable
Empowered
Ethical
8 Reflect on and evaluate your personal responses to issues you encounter in the international law space. Empowered
Ethical

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

((LAW100 or LAW101) and (LAW105 or LAW103)) or (LAW102 and enrolled in any Law program) or (LAW108) or (JST202 and enrolled in Program AR323)

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

LAW410 or LAW412

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Early feedback will be provided in Weeks 2-4 through in-class practice, guided discussion, and informal feedback on progress and understanding.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Written Piece Individual 20%
1000 words or equivalent
Week 4 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 2 Written Piece Individual and Group 40%
2000 words or equivalent
Week 8 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check and in class
All 3 Portfolio Individual 40%
2000 words
Refer to Format Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:International Law Research Skills
Goal:
This task assesses your ability to research and evaluate the authority of international legal materials and to evaluate key concepts.
Product: Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Research and citation tasks and short answer questions. Full details on Canvas course.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Demonstrated ability to research authoritative and credible international law sources and to evaluate their merit.
3 6
2
Appropriate use of written communication, including providing proper referencing and citation information.
2 3 4 5
3
Demonstration of own developing understanding of the sources and principles of international law
1 6 8
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving, Organisation, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 2:Arbitration
Goal:
To develop your oral negotiation and written communication skills, as well as your ability to relate to other legal professionals on behalf of a client. These skills will be developed in the context of an international law arbitration environment where you will work in small groups to produce the agreement and individually document and reflect on the process. 

This is an Aligned Assessment Point.
Product: Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Arbitration agreement and process documentation. Full details on Canvas.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Identify international law issues from a factual problem scenario
1
2
Demonstrate understanding of the international laws and principles that will inform the arbitration process
1 2 3 8
3
Clear communication of a written arbitration agreement that evidences advocacy for the individual's client and a negotiated outcome.
4 5 7
4
Demonstrate sound research skills and the use of relevant, credible, and authoritative sources of international law
5 6
5
Collaborate with others to plan and achieve key outcomes
4 7
Generic Skills:
Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation
All - Assessment Task 3:Advocacy Portfolio
Goal:
To assess your ability to create informative legal materials for a range of audiences based on international law topics of interest. You will select topics from the course to create law reform and advocacy materials with a written explanation and reflection on process and purpose.
Product: Portfolio
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Portfolio Materials due throughout trimester. Final product due Week 12. Complete details on Canvas.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Identify and research international law topics of interest, designing a project with appropriate scope and depth.
1 2 3 6
2
Communicate to a range of legal and non-legal audiences.
4 5
3
Reflect on your process, your understanding of international law, your choice of topics, and forms of presentation.
1 8
4
Demonstrate your understanding of international law through reasoned and substantiated analysis that is appropriate to the discipline and based on credible research.
1 2 3 6
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving, Organisation, Information literacy

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

You need regular access to the resource(s) below. Many texts are available as ebooks through the Library at no additional cost.

Required? Author Year Title Edition Publisher
Recommended Reid Mortensen,Richard Garnett,Mary Keyes 2023 Private International Law in Australia 5th ed Lexis Nexis
Recommended Emily Crawford,Alison Pert,Ben Saul 2023 Public International Law n/a Cambridge University Press

Specific requirements

This course contains an Aligned Assessment Point. 

For online study and group collaboration, students will need to have access to a computer with a reliable Internet connection.

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.

The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  

For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: