Outline

Overview

This unit will develop students’ knowledge of International Law’s rules and institutions as they apply in conflict and peacetime. It draws on contemporary jurisprudence and state practice from international humanitarian law, international criminal law, international human rights law, and the use of force. Students will learn how to apply critical theoretical perspectives to international law, drawing particularly on diverse feminist approaches (including intersectional, Indigenous and Global South feminist theories). Students will be encouraged to understand ‘gender’ beyond a binary approach, and to explore how a gendered lens can serve as a means of highlighting blind spots and limitations in international law. In terms of skills development, this unit will teach students how to apply black letter law and legal theory to fictional and real-life problem scenarios. The unit will also introduce students to the concept of feminist judgment writing, giving students a valuable insight into the practice of analysing facts and writing judgments. The module’s mixed assessment methods is designed to encourage the development of students’ oral and written communication skills, and there is a strong emphasis on student participation throughout. This unit will include some discussion of sensitive material, including sexual and gender-based violence, atrocity crimes, and crimes perpetrated against Indigenous peoples. 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 ?	LAWS3483 or LAWS5183
Assumed knowledge ?	To be advised
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Rachel Killean, rachel.killean@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Rosemary Grey, rosemary.grey@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Participation	Structured class participation Participation	10%	Ongoing	Twice during the unit
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	Multiple choice quiz (25%) Paper multiple choice quiz, closed books, in class.	25%	Week 01 Due date: 17 Oct 2024 at 09:30	30 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Short release assignment	Short-release Essay Plan (10%) Submitted work	10%	Week 01 Due date: 18 Oct 2024 at 09:00 Closing date: 18 Oct 2024	500 words/ 10 working days
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Feminist judgment task (55%) Submitted work	55%	Week 06 Due date: 22 Nov 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 30 Nov 2024	4000 words/7 weeks
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Structured Class participation (10%): Students will be assigned two specific readings from the reading list for the unit and will be expected to be able to explain the reading in a small group setting. Students will be expected to be able to answer questions from the teacher on the content of the reading. Questions may include:

What is X’s main argument?
What examples did X use to illustrate that argument?
How did X’s argument differ from Y’s (Y being another student’s assigned reading)?

Participation will also involve asking questions of and engaging with other students’ accounts of their own assigned reading.

The participation task is designed to enhance classroom engagement and provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the ideas and concepts related to the content of the unit (ULOs 1-4).

Multiple choice quiz (25%): Students will undertake an in-class, closed-book, multiple-choice quiz, lasting 30 minutes. The quiz will be administered in class at 9:30am on Thursday 17 October 2024 (Sydney, Australia time).

The quiz is designed to assess student understanding of topics covered in the unit up to that date (ULOs 1 and 2)

Feminist judgment task (65%): This task has two [2] components:

10% -Essay Plan, 500 words: Students will be required to submit an essay plan (500 words) outlining how they will address rewriting the judgment. The essay plan must be submitted by 9:00am on the final day of class, and students should come to class ready to discuss their plan.
55%-A rewritten judgment, 4000 words:

Students will select one [1] of three excerpts of a judgement from an international law court published on Canvas at 5:00pm (Sydney, Australia time) on 3 October 2024, then rewrite it from a feminist or another related critical perspective. The rewritten judgement should be 4000 words in length (including footnotes and headings).

This assessment uses the ‘feminist judgment method’, which will be taught in class using published examples of re-written feminist judgments to give students a clear understanding of what is expected.

The Feminist Judgment must be submitted via Canvas no later than 11:59pm on 22nd November 2024 (Sydney, Australia time).

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 (include) all footnotes and any bibliography (if required), and exclude acknowledgements of permissible assistance from editors, automated writing tools or generative AI (where use is permitted).

Special consideration: Successful grants of Special Consideration may involve alternative tasks, designed to fulfill the learning outcomes of the original task.

Use of editors or proof-readers: In completing unsupervised assessments, 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.

Assessment requirements to pass a unit of study: A student must make a genuine attempt at all 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 sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

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 24 hours or part thereof, after the due time on the due date. For example, a submission after 11:59pm but before the same time the following day will attract a 10% penalty. Penalties for late submission will be applied strictly, subject to a 5-minute grace period.

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.

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

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

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 -02	Day 1: Public International Law and Feminist Approaches to International Law.	Seminar (6.5 hr)
Week -02	Day 2: International Humanitarian Law and Use of Force.	Seminar (6.5 hr)
Week 01	Day 3: International Criminal Law.	Seminar (6.5 hr)
Week 01	Day 4: New Directions in Gender and International Law.	Seminar (6.5 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: All students are required to attend at least 70% of classes to satisfy the pass requirements for each unit of study. Failure to meet this requirement may result in a student being precluded from undertaking the final assessment.

For units offered in Intensive mode, participation in all scheduled sessions may be expected by a Unit Coordinator in order to satisfy the requirements of the unit.

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. 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 required readings will be available on the Canvas site under 'Reading List'.

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. identify and explain sources of international law, including international humanitarian law, international criminal law, international human rights law, and the regulation of the use of force, as applied in times of war and peace.
LO2. identify, describe and evaluate feminist theories and related critical theoretical perspectives.
LO3. critically analyze sources of international law using multiple critical legal theories, to create oral and written arguments.
LO4. critically evaluate and analyze fictional and real-life problem scenarios using diverse legal frameworks and theories.
LO5. demonstrate oral and written legal communication skills by writing a feminist judgment.

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.

New unit, offered for the first time.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

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

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

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

LAWS6366: International Law - Conflict and Gender

Intensive October - November, 2024 [Block mode] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

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

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links