HU902-7-FY-CO:
Human Rights Clinic
2023/24
Human Rights Centre (Essex Law School)
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 28 June 2024
15
20 October 2023
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
This module is concerned with the practice of human rights advocacy and is linked to the Human Rights Centre Clinic. Its key focus is the critical engagement with efforts made to enforce human rights protection through the use of international law and mechanisms.
The module will develop students' ability to evaluate – and effectively engage with – some of the principal strategies available to human rights practitioners. It will also provide students with the skillset necessary to work as human rights professionals.
The module includes the following content:
Open-data desk research
Evidence gathering and interviewing
International and national advocacy dynamics
Impact assessment
Strategic communications and framing (how we talk)
Engaging with media (how we amplify our voices)
Strategic litigation in front of judicial and quasi-judicial international mechanisms
We will end the module by tying together all that we have learnt in the Module and the Clinic and formulating good practices for developing a human rights advocacy strategy.
Students taking this course are required to participate in the Human Rights Centre Clinic. By combining this module with the Clinic, students are provided with the opportunity both to learn about human rights protection mechanisms and to apply this knowledge through actual engagement with national and international stakeholders in the human rights sector, including NGOs and international organisations.
Satisfactory attendance and participation in this Module and the Human Rights Centre Clinic will:
HU902 Taught Component
1. Develop students’ ability to critically engage with issues relating to the practice of human rights advocacy
2. Develop students’ ability: to reflect on different approaches taken (what has worked, what has not, and why), to learn from and utilise existing experience (that of academic staff, other students, and their own) and to apply this understanding to future challenges
3. Provide students with the essential skillset necessary to become successful human rights professionals, including an understanding of how to effectively engage international human rights mechanisms
HRC Clinic
1. Provide students with the opportunity to develop the skillset necessary to become successful practitioners through structured engagement in the practice of human rights
2. Provide students with the experience of working in a professional human rights-based environment
3. Positively contribute to the overall practice of human rights through engagement with international human rights mechanisms, and other mechanisms as appropriate
4. Contribute to the capacity development of external partner organisations, inter alia, by means of a sustained and collaborative working relationship, and through the placement of Clinic staff
5. Demonstrate the practical application of human rights and its relevance to ‘real-world’ issues
Upon successful completion of HU902, students will:
1. Have developed a critical understanding of the international human rights machinery, its strengths and weaknesses, and its relevance to the overall practice of human rights advocacy
2. Possess an awareness of the context in which human rights work takes place
3. Be able to apply theory to the practice of human rights
4. Be able to develop focused strategies with clear objectives to address identified human rights issues
5. Possess the essential skillset necessary to be a successful human rights professional, including an ability to question, research, analyse, and apply facts to a given human rights problem, and to translate this into an effective output
6. Possess an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of human rights practice.
7. Be able to critically assess and reflect upon work undertaken, and to place this within the theoretical framework developed during postgraduate study.
The module is open only to students who have been admitted to the Human Rights Centre Clinic. Please refer to the HRC Clinic page to find out how to apply by going onto this link: https://www.essex.ac.uk/centres-and-institutes/human-rights/human-rights-centre-clinic
HU902 runs in parallel to the Human Rights Centre Clinic and all students working on the Clinic must enrol in HU902. No other students may enrol.
While HU902 is primarily a Spring Term module, two two-hour lectures will be held in the Autumn term, in weeks 4 and 8. These sessions are scheduled to coincide with the start of Clinic work (in November) and are aimed at facilitating practical work by focusing on group work and research as well as oral and writing skills.
During the Spring Term there will be one two-hour lecture and one one-hour seminar per week.
This module will have two seminars in the Autumn Term, as well as weekly seminars in the Spring. These seminars will exceptionally be taught via live webinars, to ensure you have the opportunity to be taught by experts from across the globe.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Reflective Statement (HU902 Human Rights Clinic) |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
Professionalism (HU902 Human Rights Clinic) |
|
30% |
| Coursework |
Essay (HU902 Human Rights Clinic) |
|
50% |
Additional coursework information
The professionalism mark evaluates the student’s performance in their Clinic work.
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Koldo Casla, email: koldo.casla@essex.ac.uk.
Law Education Office, pgtlawqueries@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
Travel costs for UK - based unpaid, approved work placements and live projects which are an integral part of a module may be covered by your department. (NB this will usually exclude field trips and site visits). Please check with your module supervisor to ensure that the activity is eligible.
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
Of 33 hours, 31 (93.9%) hours available to students:
2 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can
be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements,
industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist
of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules.
The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.