LLAW6076 & JDOC6076
General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW6076 / JDOC6076 |
| Course name: | Seminar in Human Rights Research |
| Programme offered under: | LLM Programme / JD Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Credit point value: | 9 credits / 6 credits |
1.2 Course description
This seminar is the required Capstone course for participants in the Master of Laws (Human Rights) Programme. The seminar aims to facilitate participants’ exploration of human rights tools and skills. The seminar sessions will provide opportunities to develop your own critical thinking, legal research and writing skills in the area of international human rights law.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Stephanie Biedermann | sbied@hku.hk | CCT 802 | By email |
| Course convenor | Kelley Loper | kloper@hku.hk | CCT 408 | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
Course objectives:
This course aims to:
- Engage participants in the practice of domestic, regional and international human rights law, and comparative legal analysis; and
- Provide an opportunity for participants to critically analyze and contribute to the growing body of human rights research, knowledge and scholarship.
Course learning outcomes:
CLO 1 Define, locate and evaluate sources of international law generally and human rights law in particular.
CLO 2 Access the documentation of the United Nations and regional human rights systems.
CLO 3 Identify and evaluate human rights-related material available through other sources, such as the United Nations specialized bodies and specialized agencies, international organizations and non-governmental organizations.
CLO 4 Translate human rights issues into researchable questions.
CLO 5 Design a human rights research project with a strong methodology and understand how to ensure research meets ethical standards.
CLO 6 Prepare a bibliography on a human rights topic, cite sources correctly and substantiate claims.
CLO 7 Critically analyze and discuss different approaches to research in the field of law – and human rights law in particular.
CLO 8 Analyze the application of international human rights instruments in specific situations, as well as across different jurisdictions.
CLO 9 Determine the legal aspects of a human rights violation.
CLO 10 Conduct comparative legal research, fact investigation, analysis and writing relevant to the practice of international human rights law.
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 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 7 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 8 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 9 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 10 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Due date | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| To be advised | TBC | 100% |
| *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/