Corsi di Studio del Dipartimento di Giurisprudenza

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The course aims at providing students with the conceptual tools to understand key elements of human rights protection and promotion.

The topics addressed and the didactical activities proposed will significantly contribute to the development of students’ specific skills and abilities, in particular critical thinking.

Working on cases and other proposed materials, students will develop the capacity to elaborate independent opinions on HR issues and to formulate arguments using appropriate legal categories and concepts.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, students will understand principles governing international human rights law and will become familiar with the main UN monitoring systems, as well as with regional judicial mechanisms of protection.

Students will also become able to analyze cases, discuss critical developments in the field and to formulate independent opinions on specific issues.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The total duration of the course is 36 hours (6 ECTS).

During the AY 20-21, due to the Covid-19 emergency and in line with the decisions assumed by the University of Turin and the Department of Law, the course will be delivered as a distance-learning module. 

The course will mainly consist in various types of on-line material (ppt with audio, short podcasts and videos), as well as individual and collective exercises with personalized feedback from the Lecturer.

In addition, streaming lectures and other scheduled online meetings on Webex will provide the opportunity for students to be directly in touch with the Lecturer and to benefit from a profitable exchange of views with colleagues.

The first lecture (5th March at 12.00) will be in streaming at: https://unito.webex.com/meet/ludovica.poli

EVALUATION

Students' preparation will be assessed through an oral interview (3 questions on the entire syllabus), aiming at evaluating their knowledge, as well as their presentation skills and ability to analyze and comment relevant documents.

Attending students, who complete all the different activities proposed during the course, will have the opportunity to take a written exam, consisting in a paper, followed by a short oral interview (1 question) to consolidate the final grade.

For the summer session, due to the restriction connected to the  COVID-19 pandemic, exams will take place via video-conference on WEBEX: https://unito.webex.com/meet/ludovica.poli

1.By registering to the exam, students implicitly accept to take it via video-conference on WEBEX.

2.The Webex meeting will be launched about 5 minutes before the beginning of the exam, in order to allow students to join the virtual session.

3.Students must keep the e-mail box under control (possibly on a separate device), to ensure swift communication in the event of net connection problems.

4.Before the beginning of the exam, the professors check the identity of the candidates. Students must show their ID.

5.In the event of a high number of candidates, professors will timely communicate a possible alternative schedule for candidates

6.Bearing in mind the complexity of the management of on-line exams, the students are expected to behave responsibly. Students should NOT sign up for the exam, if they are NOT SURE to take it. If, due to exceptional reasons, it is not possible to attend an exam, to which a student has previously sign in, HE/SHE MUST COMMUNICATE THE WITHDRAWAL via email (ludovica.poli@unito.it) the day before the exam.

SUPPORT ACTIVITIES

Prof. Poli is available to students for clarifications and other didactical necessities. 

In particular, students with disabilities or with specific learning disorders are invited to report their special needs, in order to define possible alternative modalities for taking part in the course and attending the exam.

ludovica.poli@unito.it

COURSE SYLLABUS

Main topics addressed during the course:

• The rise of IHRL: a transnational issue achieving an international status
  • The role of the UN
  • The contribution or regional organizations
• The nature of Human Rights
• Generations of Human Rights
  • Civil and political rights
  • Economic, social and cultural rights
• Human rights of third generation (peace, environment, development)
• Types of States obligations
  • Avoiding interference
  • Positive obligations
• Mechanisms of protection
  • UN Treaty-based bodies and special procedures
  • Regional Courts

The course materials  will be uploaded on Moodle.

In addition, students may refer to: Rhona K.M. Smith, International Human Rights Law, Oxford 2020.