LLM International Humanitarian Law

Situations of armed conflict and acute crisis affects the lives of millions of people globally. How does international law regulate the conduct of hostilities, and the protection of victims of conflict and acute crisis? What are the implications of developments like the so-called ‘war on terror' and ‘migration crisis' on the effectiveness of international law? Are the existing legal frameworks fit-for-purpose in responding to the challenges posed by new technologies such as automated weapons and cyber warfare?

In recent years, armed conflicts in Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Yemen, amongst others, have reminded us that the need to ensure respect for international law is as acute as ever.

Our LLM International Humanitarian Law has been designed to address situations such as these and provide you with the knowledge and skills to pursue or advance your career in fields related to legal regimes applicable to armed conflict and acute crisis situations. Emphasis is placed on understanding the practical application of the law. It is intended to ensure a balance between theory and practice, so that you are equipped to deal with real world situations.

You examine the legal regimes applicable to situations of armed conflict, and you develop a comprehensive understanding of:

• the regulation of the conduct of hostilities
• the protection of victims of armed conflict
• the application of international human rights law in the context of armed conflict and acute crisis
• the application of international criminal law and international refugee law in the context of armed conflict and acute crisis
• addressing legal obligations and engagement of non-state actors

You also explore and debate some of the biggest contemporary challenges confronting the humanitarian sector today. This includes cutting-edge issues such as the legal challenges posed by new technologies and cyber warfare, as well as more traditional issues such as the protection of displaced persons during emergency situations.

There are a range of fellowships and bursaries available for LLM study. Please see our Fees and Funding pages for more information.

At Essex, we specialise in business law, public law, criminal justice, health law, law and technology, socio-legal studies and human rights law.

We are ranked 49th for Law in THE World University Rankings by subject 2024, which is 9th in the UK, and we are 3rd in the UK for research power in law (THE research power measure, REF2021).

Our expert staff

At Essex, our work has always been informed by the expertise of our academics, who are not only specialists in their fields, but have held – and continue to occupy – key positions in advising the Government and global NGOs on issues relating to human rights law and international humanitarian law.

You benefit from extensive research by our academics who lead this course:

• Prof. Noam Lubell is widely published in the field of the law of armed conflict, as well as having experience working with NGOs and training for military and government. He has held numerous positions in the field, including Swiss Chair of IHL at the Geneva Academy, Rapporteur of the International Law Association's Committee on the Use of Force, and a Visiting Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, working on legal and ethical implications of new technologies.
• Prof. Geoff Gilbert holds, and has held, a number of positions advising governments and international organisations on human rights law throughout his career. He has published an extensive number of works and currently has specific research interests in international refugee law, extradition law, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international minority rights law.
• Dr Gus Waschefort has particular research interests in the law of armed conflict in Africa and has extensive experience working and researching within active conflict zones in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, South Sudan and Angola.
• Dr Carla Ferstman has worked as a criminal defence lawyer, before moving to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Rwanda. Thereafter she worked for Amnesty International before joining REDRESS, serving as Director from 2004-2018. Dr Ferstman has published extensively and is a regular commentator on an array of human rights issues.

Essex Law School also includes former UN Special Rapporteurs, members of UN treaty bodies, the UK member of the UN Human Rights Committee and a member of the Government's new Advisory Group on Human Rights. We are also advisers to a range of international organisations (like the OHCHR, UNHCR and WHO), as well as to NGOs around the world, and litigators before national courts, regional human rights commissions and courts, international courts and tribunals, and the UN treaty bodies.

Specialist facilities

• Participate in various legal competitions to hone your debating, mediation and negotiation skills
• Work on key human rights projects at our Human Rights Clinic
• Network at our student-run Law Society, Human Rights Society, and Bar Society, which provides legal advice to the Commonwealth Students' Association (CSA)
• Volunteer at the Essex Law Clinic where you can work alongside practicing solicitors to offer legal advice to clients
• Join our Model United Nations society, which can improve your skills of argumentation, oral presentation and research
• Take advantage of networking opportunities throughout the year with visiting law firms

We also offer a range of opportunities for working with projects associated with our Human Rights Centre:

• Essex Business and Human Rights Project
• International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy
• Digital Verification Unit
• Essex Autonomy Project
• Detention, Rights and Social Justice Programme
• Human Rights, Big Data and Technology Project

Your future

Essex Law School graduates have gone on to a wide variety of careers in international and intergovernmental organisations or employment with governments across the world, in commerce and banking, in non-governmental organisations and, as might be expected, in the legal profession and the judiciary.

We are first university in the UK to sign a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). This creates internship and research opportunities for our postgraduate students and is based on our long-established expertise in international humanitarian law.

During the year, we hold a careers session for our students in which we reflect upon our own careers and how they have been built as well as those from former students. We are always available to discuss career options and if you are interested in a particular area of human rights, we can link you up with the relevant alumni to offer advice.

We also work with the university's Careers Services to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities. Take a look at our dedicated careers pages for Law and Human Rights.

UK entry requirements

A 2:2 degree in Law, or a 2:2 joint honours degree that includes at least one of the following subjects:

• Criminology
• International Relations
• Law
• Politics
• Political Science
• Sociology

We will also consider applicants with any other 2:2 degree or above.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, we require IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum component score of 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in all other components.

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Additional Notes

The University uses academic selection criteria to determine an applicant’s ability to successfully complete a course at the University of Essex. Where appropriate, we may ask for specific information relating to previous modules studied or work experience.

Course structure

We offer a flexible course structure with a mixture of core/compulsory modules, and optional modules chosen from lists.

Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The course content is therefore reviewed on an annual basis to ensure our courses remain up-to-date so modules listed are subject to change.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Teaching

Postgraduate students in Essex Law School usually attend two-hour workshops, or a one-hour lecture and one-hour seminar for each module each week.

• Taught through small-group interactive seminars that foster critical debate and analysis
• Teaching is supplemented by lectures, where appropriate
• Postgraduates are welcome to join the numerous guest lectures held at the School yearly

Assessment

Dissertation

• Your dissertation is normally 12,000 words in length
• You will have the freedom to select your own dissertation topic
• A special dissertation module that offers guidance on topic selection and the writing process, as well as one-to-one supervision given from a member of academic staff