Master of Legal Studies specialisation in Human Rights Law

A specialisation is a focused collection of courses within a programme that allows you to gain deep, targeted knowledge in a specific sub-field. Normally these courses make up more than 50 percent of a qualification, some of which lead to registration within a certain field. They may be interdisciplinary, professionally oriented, or designed to meet accreditation requirements. Specialisations often restrict elective choice in favour of a clearly defined study plan.

Completed specialisations will appear on your academic transcript.

Please see the main programme link below for further details.

The New Zealand Centre for Human Rights Law, Policy and Practice is a specialist centre hosted by the Auckland Law School at the University of Auckland. The centre aims to provide a focal point for human rights research, education, community service and a range of human rights activities in New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region. The centre is composed of academic members from various universities in New Zealand (both in law faculties and in other disciplines) and others involved in human rights research and activities.

Human Rights Law is a developing subject internationally, and the University of Auckland is a national leader in the field.

Specialisations include Comparative Bills of Rights, Human Rights and the Criminal Law, Mental Health Law, International Human Rights, and Counterterrorism Law, and Third to First World Relations.

Each year we invite teachers to present an additional roster of subjects. The course line-up changes annually. Recent courses have included Human Rights in Education Law and Policy: US and NZ Perspectives, Comparative Human Rights Law, Terrorism and the Rule of Law, Tort Law and Human Rights, and Comparative Indigenous Peoples and the Law.

MLS - Master of Legal Studies

The New Zealand Centre for Human Rights Law, Policy and Practice can assist students who want to intern in human rights matters and graduates who want to find a career in human rights.

Complete 180 points for either of the following:

180 points for Admission under Regulation 1c(i) Requirements, or
180 points for Admission under Regulation 1c(ii) Requirements

Admission under Regulation 1c(i) Requirements

Complete 180 points comprising:

At least 150 points from Group 1 Elective Courses, and
0 to 30 points from Group 2 Elective Courses

Group 1 Elective Courses

Complete at least 150 points from the following:

LAW 760 - Directed Study - Level 9 (15 points)

LAW 790 - Dissertation - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWGENRL 702 - Foundations of Human Rights - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWGENRL 712 - Therapeutic Jurisprudence - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 725 - Privacy Law - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 726 - Public International Law - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 732 - Comparative Indigenous Rights Law - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 736 - Human Rights Litigation - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 740 - Special Topic: International Human Rights Law - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 741 - Special Topic: Medico-legal Problems - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 743 - International Criminal Law - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 744 - Special Topic: International Humanitarian Law - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 760 - Selected Issues in Public International Law - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 761 - Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in International Law - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 770 - Theory and History of Criminal Law and Policy - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 771 - Advanced Criminal Procedure: Selected Topics - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 772 - Comparative Criminal Procedure - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 773 - Advanced Evidence Law in Criminal Cases - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 774 - Human Rights - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 775 - Human Rights Remedies - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 776 - Human Rights: Selected Topics - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 777 - Human Rights in Mental Health Law - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 778 - Issues in Search and Surveillance - Level 9 (15 points)

Up to 180 points may be substituted from such other 700 level courses as the Dean of Faculty of Law approves from year to year as relevant for inclusion in this specialisation.

Group 2 Elective Courses

Complete 0 to 30 points from the following:

INFOGOV 702 - Information Ethics (15 points)

INFOGOV 703 - Impact of New Technologies (15 points)

INFOGOV 704 - Artificial Intelligence Regulation - Level 9 (15 points)

INFOGOV 705 - Information Privacy: Theory and Application - Level 9 (30 points)

INFOGOV 706 - Cybersecurity Techniques and Governance (15 points)

INFOGOV 707 - Dispute Resolution Techniques (15 points)

INFOGOV 708 - Intellectual Property and Information (15 points)

INFOGOV 709 - Access to Information (15 points)

Admission under Regulation 1c(ii) Requirements

Complete 180 points comprising:

30 points for all Compulsory Course, and
At least 120 points from Group 1 Elective Courses, and
0 to 30 points from Group 2 Elective Courses

Compulsory Course

Complete 30 points for ALL of the following:

LAW 701 - The Legal System: Sources, Structure and Method - Level 9 (30 points)

Group 1 Elective Courses

Complete at least 120 points from the following:

LAW 760 - Directed Study - Level 9 (15 points)

LAW 790 - Dissertation - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWGENRL 702 - Foundations of Human Rights - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWGENRL 712 - Therapeutic Jurisprudence - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 725 - Privacy Law - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 726 - Public International Law - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 732 - Comparative Indigenous Rights Law - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 736 - Human Rights Litigation - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 740 - Special Topic: International Human Rights Law - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 741 - Special Topic: Medico-legal Problems - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 743 - International Criminal Law - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 744 - Special Topic: International Humanitarian Law - Level 9 (30 points)

LAWPUBL 760 - Selected Issues in Public International Law - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 761 - Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in International Law - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 770 - Theory and History of Criminal Law and Policy - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 771 - Advanced Criminal Procedure: Selected Topics - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 772 - Comparative Criminal Procedure - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 773 - Advanced Evidence Law in Criminal Cases - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 774 - Human Rights - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 775 - Human Rights Remedies - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 776 - Human Rights: Selected Topics - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 777 - Human Rights in Mental Health Law - Level 9 (15 points)

LAWPUBL 778 - Issues in Search and Surveillance - Level 9 (15 points)

Up to 120 points may be substituted from such other 700 level courses as the Dean of Faculty of Law approves from year to year as relevant for inclusion in this specialisation.

Group 2 Elective Courses

Complete 0 to 30 points from the following:

INFOGOV 702 - Information Ethics (15 points)

INFOGOV 703 - Impact of New Technologies (15 points)

INFOGOV 704 - Artificial Intelligence Regulation - Level 9 (15 points)

INFOGOV 705 - Information Privacy: Theory and Application - Level 9 (30 points)

INFOGOV 706 - Cybersecurity Techniques and Governance (15 points)

INFOGOV 707 - Dispute Resolution Techniques (15 points)

INFOGOV 708 - Intellectual Property and Information (15 points)

INFOGOV 709 - Access to Information (15 points)

Please note that while regulations and programme rules for future academic years may be displayed or made available in advance, they remain subject to change. Official, final approved programme regulations for the upcoming academic year will be available when the University Calendar is published in late October of the preceding year. Any information available prior to Calendar publication should be treated as provisional.

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