General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW3086 |
| Course name: | International and Regional Protection of Human Rights |
| Programme offered under: | LLB Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Designated research course: | Not applicable |
| Specialization: | Not applicable |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Course offered to non-law students: | No |
| Credit point value: | 6 credits |
| Cap on student numbers: | 40 |
1.2 Course description
This course will examine the evolution of international standards of human rights within the United Nations system and the mechanisms established to promote their enjoyment. The topics to be covered will include the development and content of the International Bill of Rights, the major United Nations human rights treaties and the work of the United Nations treaty bodies. The Charter-based mechanisms of the United Nations will be examined, including the Commission on Human Rights and its thematic and country-specific procedures. Particular attention will be given to the relevance of these mechanisms to the Asian-Pacific region.
The European, Inter-American and African regional systems for the protection of human rights will also be considered, in particular the work of their supervisory organs. The possibilities for Asian regional or sub-regional human rights machinery for the protection of human rights will also be examined.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Kelley Loper | kloper@hku.hk | CCT 408 | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Identify the sources of international human rights law, including key multilateral treaties as well as bodies of oft law principles/rules and understand key concepts.
CLO 2 Understand the basic functions of the main institutions, enforcement mechanisms, and processes that comprise the system for the protection of human rights at the global level (including United States treaty and charter-based bodies) and discuss current debates about their effectiveness and ability to prevent and remedy violations of human rights.
CLO 3 Identify and understand the functions of key treaties and enforcement mechanisms which comprise the African, European, and Inter-American human rights systems.
CLO 4 Discuss issues related to the development of a regional human rights framework in the Asian context and propose and debate possible scenarios for establishing an effective system based on lessons from the existing regional human rights bodies.
CLO 5 Develop their writing and critical thinking skills and participate actively in class discussion.
CLO 6 Achieve a basic understanding of the content of selected substantive rights and categories of rights, and/or current human rights topics and how these rights have been interpreted by global and regional human rights bodies.
2.2 LLB Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Please refer to the following link: https://course.law.hku.hk/llb-plo/
2.3 Programme Learning Outcomes to be achieved in this course
| PLO A | PLO B | PLO C | PLO D | PLO E | PLO F | |
| CLO 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 6 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Due date | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| Class participation (including two reflection papers) | TBC | 25% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | |
| Final assignment | TBC | 75% | 1 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| *Feedback method (to be determined by course teacher) | |
| 1 | A general course report to be disseminated through Moodle |
| 2 | Individual feedback to be disseminated by email / through Moodle |
| 3 | Individual review meeting upon appointment |
| 4 | Group review meeting |
| 5 | In-class verbal feedback |
3.2 Assessment Detail
To be advised by course convenor(s).
3.3 Grading Criteria
Please refer to the following link: https://www.law.hku.hk/_files/law_programme_grade_descriptors.pdf
Learning Activities
4.1 Learning Activity Plan
| Seminar: | 3 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
| Private study time: | 9.5 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
Remarks: the normative student study load per credit unit is 25 ± 5 hours (ie. 150 ± 30 hours for a 6-credit course), which includes all learning activities and experiences within and outside of classroom, and any assessment task and examinations and associated preparations.
4.2 Details of Learning Activities
To be advised by course convenor(s).
Learning Resources
5.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Reading materials are posted on Moodle |
| Core reading list: | TBA |
| Recommended reading list: | TBA |
5.2 Links
Please refer to the following link: http://www.law.hku.hk/course/learning-resources/