University of Essex

HU300-6-FY-CO:
Selected Issues in Human Rights

The details

Year: 2023/24

Department: Human Rights Centre (Essex Law School)

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Full Year

Level: Undergraduate: Level 6

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 05 October 2023

End date: Friday 28 June 2024

Credits: 30

Last updated: 20 October 2023

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: HU200

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): (none)

Key module for

BA V1L2 History with Human Rights,
BA V1L8 History with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA V1LF History with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA V1LG History with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA T7M8 Latin American studies with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA T7M9 Latin American Studies with Human Rights,
BA V5M8 Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA V5M9 Philosophy with Human Rights,
BA V5MX Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA V6M9 Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA VLM8 Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA L219 Politics with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L2M8 Politics with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA L2M9 Politics with Human Rights,
BA LFM9 Politics with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA L3J9 Sociology with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L3M9 Sociology with Human Rights,
BA LMJ9 Sociology with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MM20 Law with Human Rights,
LLB MM21 Law with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MM22 Law with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
LLB MM30 Law with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA P570 Journalism with Human Rights,
BA P571 Journalism with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA P572 Journalism with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA LL37 Social Anthropology with Human Rights,
BA LL38 Social Anthropology with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA LL39 Social Anthropology with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L914 Global Studies with Human Rights,
BA L916 Global Studies with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA L917 Global Studies with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L918 Global Studies with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA V301 Curating, Heritage and Human Rights,
BA V302 Curating, Heritage and Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA V303 Curating, Heritage and Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA V304 Curating, Heritage and Human Rights (Including Year Abroad)

Module description

This course seeks to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the relevance and role of human rights to a number of contemporary issues.

Topics are examined, such as exploring the meaning of rights for those most vulnerable and marginalised in society: women's rights, minority rights, socio-economic rights and poverty, the rights of persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples' rights.

Module aims

(a) To build and consolidate knowledge and skills gained in HU100 and HU200.
(b) To examine the relevance and role of human rights to a number of contemporary issues.
(c) To examine selected substantive human rights in national, regional and global contexts.
(d) To introduce students to comparative human rights analysis.

Module learning outcomes

At the end of this module, students will demonstrate the ability to critically analyse select contemporary human rights issues from a range of different perspectives.

Students will evaluate key normative concepts and ideas, such as equality, human dignity and non-discrimination, and comprehend both the historical bases and the philosophical arguments underpinning the modern rights infrastructure.

Students will understand the various human rights frameworks (international, regional, domestic) and recognise how these interact with regards to specific human rights issues and cases.

Students, working both independently and collaboratively, will be able to synthesise and present human rights arguments in a coherent manner, communicating through their written outputs, in-class contributions, and oral presentations.

Module information

The module is co-taught by experts from the Sociology and Philosophy department, as well as the Law School and Human Rights Centre.

Autumn Term
1. Introduction to the Module and Key Concepts [C. Ferstman]
2. Human Rights and Poverty [C. Ferstman]
3. Human Rights and Racism [C. Ferstman]
4. Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism [C. Ferstman]
5. Human Rights and Women [S. Maranlou]
6. Human Rights and Religion [S. Maranlou]
7. Freedom of Association [S. Maranlou]
8. The Right of Access to Justice [S. Maranlou]
9. Human Rights and Conflict [E. Pobjie]
10. Covid-19 and Human Rights [E. Pobjie]

Spring Term
11. Sociological approaches to analysing torture [L. Morris]
12. Civil and political rights and the human condition [L. Morris]
13. The culture of rights and rights to culture [L. Morris]
14. Social rights and contesting 'austerity' [L. Morris]
15. Moral economy and migration [L. Morris]
16. Dignity in human rights documents, are humans unique? [T. Jütten]
17. Dignity and Autonomy [T. Jütten]
18. Dignity and Rank [T. Jütten]
19. Dignity and Speech [T. Jütten]
20. Dignity at Work [T. Jütten]

Learning and teaching methods

There will be twenty weekly lecture sessions split between the two terms. Each session will be two hours long and will incorporate a variety of learning and teaching styles. Students are expected to carry out the readings in advance of each lecture and to actively participate in all the sessions. There will be opportunities for student engagement throughout.

Bibliography

Sriram, C.L., Martin-Ortega, O. and Herman, J. (2017b) ‘The Interplay Between War and Human Rights’, in War, Conflict and Human Rights. 3rd edition. London: Taylor & Francis Ltd. Available at: https://www-taylorfrancis-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/chapters/mono/10.4324/9781315277523-1/interplay-war-human-rights-chandra-lekha-sriram-olga-martin-ortega-johanna-herman?context=ubx&refId=6263cf94-bc1e-4209-b815-2e7713a9ff58.
Sriram, C.L., Martin-Ortega, O. and Herman, J. (2017a) ‘Conflict: Fundamentals and Debates’, in War, Conflict and Human Rights. 3rd edition. London: Taylor & Francis Ltd. Available at: https://www-taylorfrancis-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/chapters/mono/10.4324/9781315277523-2/conflict-chandra-lekha-sriram-olga-martin-ortega-johanna-herman?context=ubx.
Sriram, C.L. (2013a) ‘Introduction’, in Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding on the Ground: Victims and Ex-combatants. Abingdon: Routledge.
Baker, C. and Obradovic-Wochnik, J. (2016) ‘Mapping the Nexus of Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding’, Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, 10(3), pp. 281–301. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/17502977.2016.1199483.
Zarkov, D. (2017) ‘From Women and War to Gender and Conflict? Feminist Trajectories’, in F. Ní Aoláin et al. (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Gender and Conflict. Oxford University Press, pp. 17–34. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199300983.001.0001.
Otto, D. (2017) ‘Women, Peace, and Security: A Critical Analysis of the Security Council’s Vision’, in F. Ní Aoláin et al. (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Gender and Conflict. Oxford University Press, pp. 105–118. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199300983.001.0001.
General Assembly Security Council (2020) ‘Children and Armed Conflict - Report of the Secretary-General.’ United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/sg/sites/www.un.org.sg/files/atoms/files/15-June-2020_Secretary-General_Report_on_CAAC_Eng.pdf.
Duffy, A. (2023) ‘Lesser-Known Forms of State Torture during the Northern Ireland Conflict.’
Sivakumaran, S. (2018) ‘International Humanitarian Law’, in D. Moeckli, S. Shah, and S. Sivakumaran (eds) International human rights law. Third edition. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, pp. 503–520. Available at: https://www-oxfordlawtrove-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/display/10.1093/he/9780198860112.001.0001/he-9780198860112-chapter-25.
General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) (no date b) ‘Article 6’, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [Preprint]. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-civil-and-political-rights.
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (2020) Emergency Measures and COVID-19: Guidance. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/tools-and-resources/emergency-measures-and-covid-19-guidance.
General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) (no date a) ‘Article 4’, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [Preprint]. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-civil-and-political-rights.
General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) (no date c) ‘Article 12’, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights [Preprint]. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-economic-social-and-cultural-rights.
Human Rights Committee (2001) ‘General Comment 29: States of Emergency.’ Available at: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/451555?ln=en.
Pobjie, E. (2017) ‘Victims of the Crime of Aggression’, in C. Kreß and S. Barriga (eds) The Crime of Aggression: A Commentary. Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://www-cambridge-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/core/books/crime-of-aggression/victims-of-the-crime-of-aggression/CA6B8D131CE68DF90AE52CDAFF0DDAF3?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=bookmark.
Hansson, Sven Ove (2007) ‘Risk.’ Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/Archives/sum2023/entries/risk/.
Georgi Gardiner (2018) Legal burdens of proof and statistical evidence, The Routledge Handbook of Applied Epistemology. Routledge. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/302347.
Szmukler, G. (2018) ‘How Mental Health Law Discriminates against Persons with Mental Illness’, in Men in white coats: treatment under coercion. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Essay (HU300 Selected Issues in Human Rights)	50%
Coursework	Report I (HU300 Selected Issues in Human Rights)	25%
Coursework	HU300 Selected Issues in Human Rights - Social Theory and Human Rights Report	25%

Additional coursework information

There are three essay submissions, depending on when teaching is scheduled. 1. Report I (20%) on the section taught by members of staff from the Philosophy department 2. Report II (20%) on the section taught by members of staff from the Sociology department 3. Essay (40%) on the section taught by members of staff from the School of Law and Human Rights Centre

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

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Dr Aoife Duffy, email: aoife.duffy@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff:

Contact details: Law Education Office, lawschoolug@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: No

Available to Audit: Yes

External examiner

Name: Dr Panagiotis Kapotas

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 40 hours, 40 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

Further information

Department website: Human Rights Centre (Essex Law School)

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Module Directory

HU300-6-FY-CO:Selected Issues in Human Rights