Outline

Overview

This unit introduces students to the principles and practice of international human rights law - a field of public international law and policy of ever-expanding dimensions. It will introduce students to some key concepts, debates, documents and institutions in this field, while encouraging critical examination of these from a variety of angles. In summary, this unit considers the question: what happens when we regard a situation or predicament as one involving a breach of international human rights law - what possibilities and problems does this entail? Addressing this question, students in this unit will examine: (a) forums where international human rights law is being produced (international tribunals, domestic courts, multilateral bodies - including United Nations organs - regional agencies, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions, and the media); (b) settings where international human rights law is being deployed (in Australia and elsewhere); and (c) particular identities/subjects that international human rights law aspires to shape, regulate or secure. By the end of this unit, students should be able to formulate written and oral arguments by reference to key international human rights law instruments and principles; give strategic advice as to available avenues of recourse in international human rights law; and advance an informed critique of particular dimensions of international human rights law scholarship and practice, by reference to contemporary literature in this field. Further information about this unit is available in the Sydney Law School timetable https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/4533/pages/postgraduate-lecture-timetable, unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units and academic staff profile https://www.sydney.edu.au/law/about/our-people/academic-staff.html

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Law
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	GOVT6117
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Tim Stephens, tim.stephens@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Andrew Byrnes, andrew.byrnes@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 24 April 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Participation	Structured class participation (10%) Students will be assigned readings and will be expected to answer questions	10%	Ongoing	On call during class
Outcomes assessed:
Short release assignment	Short-release mid-semester assignment (40%) Critical analysis of a primary document and problem question	40%	Week 03 Due date: 01 May 2025 at 16:00 Closing date: 08 May 2025	2000 words / 10 working days
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research essay outline (Non-graded 0%) Essay abstract outline & reading list for essay	0%	Week 05 Due date: 12 May 2025 at 16:00 Closing date: 12 May 2025	400-600 words / 5 weeks
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research essay (50%) Essay	50%	Week 07 Due date: 01 Jun 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 08 Jun 2025	4000 words / 3 weeks
Outcomes assessed:
= AI allowed ?

Assessment summary

1. Structured class participation (10%)

Assessing your class participation is intended to encourage you to engage actively in the classes and to contribute your ideas and experiences to our discussions. For each session or topic after Class 1 one or more students will be nominated to be ‘on call’, that is, you will be expected to have done one or more assigned readings and be prepared to answer questions about the readings and lead off discussion in class on one or more readings. You will be assessed on your performance when you are ‘on call’, as well as on your general participation throughout the unit of study. Further details on how class participation will be calculated will be provided on Canvas.

2. Short-release mid-semester assignment (40%): analysis of primary document/problem-based question (2,000 words)

This assignment will comprise two tasks: (a) summarising and critically analysing a primary document such as a decision or judgment of a court or other adjudicative or regulatory body, a report or a regulatory instrument and (b) answering a problem question based on a real-life or hypothetical situation which you will be asked to analyse in light of the applicable international human rights law. The purpose of the assignment is to develop your ability to engage with primary materials from a human rights perspective and to apply international human rights law norms to specific factual situations.

Your answer should be no longer than 2,000 words. The word count does not include citations or references to sources in footnotes, but does include discursive / explanatory material in footnotes. The marking criteria for assessment of the mid-semester assignment will be provided on Canvas.

The assignment will be made available on the Canvas site the day after the second class, that is on Tuesday, 15 April 2025 at 9 am (Sydney, Australia time). The deadline for submission is Thursday, 1 May 2025 at 4pm (Sydney, Australia time).

The assignment should be entirely your own work and you should not discuss it with anyone else. The use of AI programs in the preparation of this assignment is not permitted.

3. Research essay outline and reading list (non-graded 0%)

Students may choose any topic connected with international human rights law for their essay. Some suggestions for topics will be circulated at the start of the unit of study, but students are entirely free to choose one of their own. If you decide to choose one of your own or to significantly modify one of the suggested topics, you will need to submit your proposed topic to me for approval. If you do wish to propose your own topic or a modification of one of the suggested topics, please contact me directly with a draft title and abstract before proceeding - the earlier the better.

All students, including those who choose one of the suggested topics, must submit a draft essay outline/plan of 400-600 words, to the assignment dropbox on Canvas by no later than Monday, 12 May 2025, at 4pm (Sydney, Australia time). Further instructions about the required structure and content of the essay plan appear on Canvas under ‘Assignments’.

You may use AI in the research for your essay, but you must document that and keep a copy of the details of any prompts or responses from AI programs, or of any other assistance you derive from AI programs.

4. Research essay (50%) (4,000 words)

Your essay should be no longer than 4,000 words. The marking criteria for assessment of the research essay will be provided on Canvas.

As noted above, all students, including those who select one of the suggested topics, must submit an essay outline by no later than Monday, 12 May 2025 at 4pm (Sydney, Australia time), for feedback and preliminary advice.

The deadline for submission of the final essay is Sunday, 1 June 2025 at 1159 pm (Sydney, Australia time).

The essay should be entirely your own work and you should not discuss it with anyone else. You may use AI in the research for your essay, but you must document that and keep a copy of the details of any prompts or responses from AI programs, or of any other assistance you derive from AI programs.

Word limit penalty: A piece of assessment which exceeds the prescribed word limit will attract a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment for every 100 words, or part thereof. The total word count for essay and other written assessments will exclude your bibliography, citations or references to sources in footnotes, but it does include discursive/explanatory material in footnotes. The word count will also exclude acknowledgements of assistance from editors, automated writing tools or generative AI (where use is permitted).

Use of editors or proof-readers:

Mid-semester assignment: The use of assistance in preparing and editing assessment tasks in this assignment is strictly prohibited. Assistance includes human and automated writing tools (not including spell checking).

Research essay outline/research essay: In completing the research essay outline and research essay, students may use editors, proof-readers, and automated writing tools (including translation software, grammar checkers, reference generators and artificial intelligence), provided that all use is acknowledged and consistent with University policies and procedures including Academic Integrity Policy. Acknowledgment must be made in writing on the front of the work submitted for assessment, or in an appropriate footnote or other reference, and state the name of the person or software.

Special consideration: Successful grants of Special Consideration may involve alternative tasks, as appropriate.

Assessment requirements to pass a unit of study: A student must make a genuine attempt at all graded assessment tasks set out in this Unit of Study in order to obtain a Pass mark and grade (or above); otherwise, an Absent Fail grade will be recorded as the student’s result for this Unit of Study.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2021 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	• Completely answers the question. • Contains striking originality of approach or analysis. • Demonstrates exhaustive or innovative research (where independent research required). • Exceptionally well written, structured and expressed. • Is otherwise exceptional in some way.
Distinction	75 - 84	• Completely answers the question. • Achieves a critical and evaluative approach to the issues. • Content and structure is well organised in support of the argument. • Demonstrates extensive research and analysis to support a well-documented argument. • Generally well expressed and free from errors. • Has a clear structure and is well articulated.
Credit	65 - 74	• Covers main issues fairly well in answering the question. • Contains no significant errors • Demonstrates an attempted critical approach to the issues. • Demonstrates reasonably sound research and analysis in addressing the key issues. • Has a clear structure and reasonably clear expression.
Pass	50 - 64	• Identifies the key issues, but does not follow through with a reasoned argument. • Contains some significant errors. • Displays satisfactory engagement with the key issues. • Offers descriptive summary of material relevant to the question. • Superficial use of material, and may display a tendency to paraphrase. • Demonstrates little evidence of in-depth research or analysis. • Adequate expression. • Overall, demonstrates the minimum level of competence in the assessment and satisfies the requirements to proceed to higher-level studies in the degree or subject area.
Fail	0 - 49	• Does not answer the question. • Contains significant or numerous errors. • Few or no identifiable arguments. • Content that is inappropriate or irrelevant. • Lack of research or analysis. • Difficult or impossible to understand through poor grammar, expression or structure. • Overall, does not demonstrate the minimum level of competence in the assessment.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Except for supervised exams or in-semester tests, you may use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessments unless expressly prohibited by your unit coordinator.

For exams and in-semester tests, the use of AI and automated writing tools is not allowed unless expressly permitted in the assessment instructions.

The icons in the assessment table above indicate whether AI is allowed – whether full AI, or only some AI (the latter is referred to as “AI restricted”). If no icon is shown, AI use is not permitted at all for the task. Refer to Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks for this unit.

Your final submission must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of automated writing tools or generative AI, and any material generated that you include in your final submission must be properly referenced. You may be required to submit generative AI inputs and outputs that you used during your assessment process, or drafts of your original work. Inappropriate use of generative AI is considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

The Current Students website provides information on artificial intelligence in assessments. For help on how to correctly acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the  AI in Education Canvas site.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

The late submission of a piece of assessment, without an approved extension, will attract a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment per calendar day or part thereof. For example, a submission after the due time specified in the assessment summary but by 11:59pm on the due date will attract a 10% penalty. A submission after midnight of the due date will attract a 20% penalty. A submission on the following day after midnight will attract a 30% penalty, and so on.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	DAY 1: Introductions and overview of the unit of study 1. Human rights: concepts, histories and contestations 2. Human rights as international law 3. International human rights instruments	Seminar (6.5 hr)
Week 02	DAY 2: 4. International human rights mechanisms 5. Regional and subregional human rights systems; 6. National protection of human rights	Seminar (6.5 hr)
Week 03	DAY 3: 7. Case study 1: Interpreting, limiting and balancing rights 8. Case study 2: Right to equality and non-discrimination: sex, sexual orientation and gender identity 9. Case study 3: Right to an adequate standard of living	Seminar (6.5 hr)
Week 04	DAY 4: 10. Case study 4: Human rights of older persons; 11. Case study 5: Human rights and climate change; 12. Challenges to and for human rights Conclusion	Seminar (6.5 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: All students are required to attend 70% of classes to satisfy the pass requirements for this unit. Failure to meet this requirement will result in an Absent Fail grade being recorded as the student’s result for this unit (see The University of Sydney Law School Resolutions: Coursework Awards cl 11).

Referencing: The Sydney Law School expects you to use the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th edition, 2018) for your footnoting style, although you should confirm this with your lecturer, and a link to the library website where this is set out comprehensively is available at Referencing and Citation Styles: AGLC4 

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

The readings will be available in a Learning Guide that will be posted on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Critically evaluate key international human rights law and principles and construct sound legal arguments applicable to a variety of scenarios and issues.
LO2. Critically analyse the potential strengths and weaknesses of international human rights law, drawing on contemporary literature in the field.
LO3. Constructively engage with, analyse, and provide reasoned responses to legal and policy arguments in the context of human rights.
LO4. Effectively communicate analyses of specific aspects of international human rights law scholarship and practice, using contemporary literature, to diverse audiences.
LO5. Develop and refine advanced oral presentation and discussion skills through active and informed participation in class debates and discussions.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Changes have been made to the assessment regime.

Additional information

Resources - Sydney Law Students

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

LAWS6161: International Human Rights

Semester 1b, 2025 [Block mode] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links