General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW6063 / JDOC6063 |
| Course name: | Equality and Non-discrimination |
| Programme offered under: | LLM Programme / JD Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Credit point value: | 9 credits / 6 credits |
1.2 Course description
Equality and non-discrimination are universally regarded as fundamental human rights principles that underpin – and are necessary prerequisites to – the enjoyment of all human rights and freedoms. Indeed most of the major international human rights treaties as well as many national constitutions articulate rights to equality and non-discrimination either in general terms or with reference to a range of grounds such as race, gender, disability, religion, etc. Despite its prominent position in human rights law, the precise scope and meaning of equality remain contested and enforcement bodies have sometimes provided contradictory or conflicting interpretations. In other words, equality can mean different things to different people. This course considers how the law reflects, and might support the realization of, particular concepts of equality. It also examines the potential and the limits of the law as a means of achieving social and political change.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Azan Marwah | aamarwah@hku.hk | N/A | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)
CLO 1 Identify and debate the concepts of equality and non-discrimination, the theoretical principles underpinning equality, and the manner in which different concepts of equality are reflected in international and domestic law.
CLO 2 Identify and evaluate the sources of equality rights provided in general and specialized international human rights treaties including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
CLO 3 Identify and compare sources of equality rights in domestic law, including Hong Kong, and consider selected judicial interpretations of constitutional provisions and domestic statutes.
CLO 4 Discuss certain rounds of discrimination (including race, sex/gender, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity) and evaluate the extent to which international and domestic law may applies to discrimination on these grounds.
CLO 5 Discuss the potential and the limitations of law as an agent of social change, and the potential conflicts between equality and other norms (e.g. traditional cultural practices; freedom of expression; and freedom of religion).
CLO 6 Demonstrate a basic understanding of the mechanisms (both international and national) by which equality rights are enforced and the current debates on the effectiveness of these mechanisms.
CLO 7 Improve their research, writing, critical thinking and oral presentation skills.
2.2 LLM and JD Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Please refer to the following link:
LLM – https://course.law.hku.hk/llm-plo/
JD – https://course.law.hku.hk/jd-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 |
| Final written assignment | TBC | 50% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | |
| Essay | TBC | 50% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| *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 the 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/