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Course Overview

One of the oldest branches of international law concerns its regulation of warfare between States, which formally dates back to the 1859 Battle of Solferino and the original Geneva Convention (the Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field) of August 1864. We shall trace the development of this law through to the landmark four Geneva Conventions of August 1949 and their two Additional Protocols—one for international armed conflict; the other for non-international armed conflict—of June 1977.

 

This course will explore many topics related to the regulation of warfare, including the classification of combatants and the treatment afforded to prisoners-of-war; the means and methods of warfare (including nuclear and chemical warfare, but also focusing on sexual violation and starvation); questions of targeting, proportionality and precautionality; the history and practices of belligerent occupation and the protection of cultural property and the environment. Classes shall be taught by a combination of “mini-lectures” of the instructor as well as class presentations, which will rely on a succession of well-chosen case-studies—such as the treatment of Taliban and Al-Qaeda members held at Guantanamo Bay as well as those captured during the Ethiopia/Eritrea hostilities; the targeting decisions of Operation Allied Force concerning Kosovo in the spring of 1999 and the use of AI techniques by Israel in its operation against Gaza after October 7, 2023.

 

The importance of these classes will be to test the continuing vitality and appeal of law during hostilities, although we shall want to question how this differs (if at all) from taking a “human rights” approach to regulating such conduct. More importantly, the recent accumulation of practice (Russia/Ukraine; Israel/Iran) and the jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice (e.g. Legal Consequences Arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Territories of July 2024) requires critical consideration of the ambitions of the law in this area of activity—and whether it is a forlorn odyssey to try and secure any form of moderation once violence has taken hold.

Workload Expectations

This is an intensive 30-point course taught over 9 working days. There will be around 36 hours of lectures/seminars in this course. The guideline for the total workload for this course is 300 hours. 

Advice on Course Limits

This is a limited entry course: there is a limit on the number of enrolments due to staff or space capacity. In cases where the courses is taught under two separate codes (e.g. concurrently taught courses, general education courses) the course limit specified is the total across both versions of the course. For more information, please see the Programme and Course Limitations section of the University Academic and General Statutes and Regulations.

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected over the nine-day intensive and is designed to be participatory, so it depends upon students being personally present and contributing. The discussions will often go in interesting directions precisely because of the contributions of the class.

The normal expectation is that students will select their research topic during the course, based on particular aspects of the course that they find especially interesting and wish to pursue.

The classes will not be available as recordings.  

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

A good introductory text to the material appears in the form of Nils Melzer, International Humanitarian Law: A Comprehensive Introduction (International Committee of the Red Cross, 2016); the assigned text for the course will be Yoram Dinstein, The Conduct of Hostilities under the Law of International Armed Conflict (Cambridge University Press, 4th ed., 2022).

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license. You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type12345

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

This is the first time this course has been taught. 

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor. Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.