Public International Law

2025/2026

Учебный год

ENG

Обучение ведется на английском языке

5

Кредиты

Кто читает:

Кафедра конституционного и административного права (Санкт-Петербург) (Юридический факультет (Санкт-Петербург))

Статус:

Курс обязательный

Когда читается:

3-й курс, 3, 4 модуль

Преподаватели

Сидорова Мария Евгеньевна

Таланов Владимир Владимирович

Федулова Ксения Александровна

Шушунова Елизавета Васильевна

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course provides an overview of the major issues of modern Public International Law. This course serves an introduction to Public International Law and the international legal system. The course covers the traditional major topics in this field such as the sources and principles, subjects of international law, the territory and jurisdiction of states, the use of force, international organizations and international treaty law. It also covers fresher aspects of Public International Law, such as human rights protection, international criminal law and international environmental law. The course puts particular emphasis on the jurisprudence of international courts and tribunals and the issues of relationship between international and domestic law in Russia. The course develops the skills of students to reveal the specific features of the international legal order as compared to other types of legal regulations, understand the architecture and major institutions of the international legal order, understand the peculiarities of different subjects of international law and comprehend the modern discussions on the status of individuals in Public International Law, understand the personal and territorial jurisdiction of states. The course develops the skills of interpreting and applying sources of international law, interpreting and applying the findings of international courts and tribunals, identifying internationally wrongful acts and determination of the order of international responsibility of states. Following the successful completion of the course, the student shall obtain the following skills and knowledge: ability to apply the rules of international legal rules and plead the case before national courts with understanding of the position of international law in municipal legal systems; ability to provide a reasoned and concise legal advice on the given cases in the field; ability to deal with the constructed moot situations and cases, develop the solutions.

Learning Objectives

• Develop the skills in the field of legal analysis, research and application
• Develop the skills in the field of judicial work and in the field of law enforcement
• Develop the skills in the field of legal analysis of documents, skills of legal opinions drafting
• Mitigation of legal risks, legal opinions and pleadings drafting
• Acquire knowledge of terminology and concepts of public international law
• Develop a working knowledge of international law-making by states and international organizations and conferences

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Skills of students to interpret and apply the WTO agreements developed.
• Skills of students to interpret and apply the findings of the international courts and tribunals developed.
• Skills of students to formulate the position of national authorities in international disputes developed.
• Skills of students to reveal and propose the resolutions of related legal risks developed.
• Understanding of the basic terminology and architecture of public international law developed.
• Skills of students to identify and ascertain the meaning of the sources of international law developed.

Course Contents

• 1. Introduction to the International Legal Order
• 2. Sources of International Law
• 3. Fundamental Principles of International Law
• 4. Subjects of International Law
• 5. International Law and Domestic Legal Order
• 6. Territory in International Law
• 7. Diplomatic and Consular Law
• 8. International Rules on the Use of Force
• 9. Law of Treaties
• 10. International Human Rights Protection and the matters of Citizenship
• 11. International Organizations
• 12. Peaceful Settlement of Disputes
• 13. International Humanitarian Law
• 14. Responsibility for Internationally Wrongful Acts
• 15. International Criminal Law
• 16. The Law of the Sea
• 17. International Environmental Law
• 18. International Air Law

Assessment Elements

• In-class written assignment
  In-class written assessment takes form of a resolution of a practical case, based on the material covered in class and during self-study. The in-class written assessment is closed book; students could not use any materials or devices. The duration of the assessment is 45 minutes.
• Written test
  Written test takes form of a test of 10 multiple choice questions with at least 4 answer options for each. Each question represents problematic situation to which students are suggested finding the most relevant option. The test is aimed at checking the student’s knowledge and understanding the material addressed in the lecture course. 1 point is awarded for each correct answer (10 points maximum for the whole test). Points gained in the end are equal to the grade for the test. The test is closed book; students could not use any materials or devices. The duration of the assessment is 20 minutes.
• Active work in class
  For active work in class (resolving problems, participating in discussions) and demonstrating due preparation for the classes, positively assessed by the tutor, a student can receive up to 10 points for all seminars preceding the exam in total. In case of insufficient student activity in seminars, the student accordingly receives 0 points. If a student is absent at more than 20% of classes, 0 points are awarded for in-class participation. The in-class participation grade received by the student is announced to him at the last tutorial and is taken into account in the calculation the resulting and final grade for the discipline.
• The exam
  The exam takes form of a resolution of a practical case based on the material covered in class and during self-study. Students need to demonstrate the knowledge of public international law and jurisprudence, as well as demonstrate the skills of argumentation. When completing these assessment elements, students are permitted to use only those legal acts whose list and format have been predetermined by the instructor, depending on the topic of the assigned assignments. During assessments and written exams, students are not permitted to use literature, legal acts not included in the instructor's list, notes, personal computers, tablets, smartphones, or other auxiliary devices unless specifically instructed by the instructor. The duration of the exam is 50 minutes.

Interim Assessment

• 2025/2026 4th module
  The final grade for the course consists of four components: grade for the in-class written assignment, grade for the in-class written test, grade for in-class participation and grade for the written exam under the following formula: Gf = 0, 1* Gwp1 + 0, 2 * Gwp2 + 0, 1 * Gwp3 + 0, 6 * Ge with: Gf – final grade for the course (10 points maximum), Gwp1 – grade for in-class written assignment (10 points maximum), Gwp2 – grade for the in-class written test (10 points maximum), Gwp3 – grade for the in-class active work (10 points maximum), Ge - grade for the written exam (10 points maximum). 1. In the event that, when checking the written works of students, including examination works, a full or partial coincidence of the text of the answer is revealed in different students, and this coincidence is not caused by the citation of the norms of the law or judicial practice of the highest courts, all students in whom the coincidence is revealed are given a mark of 0 for the work, without finding out the reasons for such a coincidence. 2. The duration of each control element, established by this program, includes the time of writing the control element and the time of its delivery when writing in a paper version, the time of its uploading when performing in the SmartLMS system.

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Nollkaemper, A. (2011). National Courts and the International Rule of Law. Oxford: OUP Premium. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=438467
• The Oxford handbook of international law in armed conflict / edited by Andrew Clapham; Paola Gaeta. (2014). Oxford: Oxford University Press [u.a.]. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.384692141

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Brownlie, I. (2015). International law and the use of force by States. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.4C6BEAD4

Authors

• VOLKOVA YULIYA MIKHAYLOVNA
• Vlasova Olga Leonidovna
• Shushunova Elizaveta Vasilevna