European Human Rights / European Human Rights

The Academic Board of Law, Odense
Teaching activity id: 8941821.
Teaching language: English.ECTS / weighting: 5 ECTS / 0.083 full-time equivalent.
Examination language: English.
Exam activity id: 8941822.Approved: 08-04-14.
Period: Autumn 2014.
Grading: Internal grading.
Assessment: 7-point scale.
Offered in: Odense.
Subject director:
Ulrike Fleth-Barten, Department of Law.

Prerequisites:
None.


Purpose:
Students are exposed to human rights in constitutional law and they are introduced to the foundations of international law of which international human rights is one part. This course thus supplements the basic knowledge and expands knowledge about human rights at the international level.

The purpose of the course is to give students a firm understanding of the systems for protection of human rights in Europe with a special focus on  the European Convention of Human Rights and the European Union.

The course aims at developing the students' skills at comparing the different approaches to human rights protection in Europe  and explain likenesses and differences and analyze the relationship between the approaches. Finally the course aims at identifying actual and potential areas of conflict between the approaches and analyzes possible legal and political solutions. 

The course shall provide students with competences relating to human rights issues within public administration, the private sector and courts. In addition, the aim is to provide competences on human rights in the restricted European framework which can be added to in other course at the B.A. and masters levels.

Content - Key areas:
  • European Convention for the protection of Human Rights (ECHR)
  • The EuropeanCourt of Human Rights
  • The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
  • The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
  • Other instututions and instruments for protecting human rights in Europe

Goals description (SOLO taxonomy):
The course aims at enabling students to:
  • analyze judgments of the European Court of Human Rights  
  • describe, analyze and evaluate the consequences of EU Membership of the ECHR
  • compare the protection of particular rights in EU and under the ECHR
  • analyze the systems for enforcement of human rights in the EU and in the Council of Europe
  • compare the systems of human rights protection  in Europe
  • assess the EU as a human rights actors
  • evaluate the importance of the Charte of Fundamental Rights
  • search judgments of the European Court of Human rights

Literature:
Mark W. Janis, Richard S. Kay, and Anthony W. Bradley, European Human Rights Law, 3rd edition, 2008


Additional articles and book excerpts will be listed at beginning of course. These include
European Convention of Human Rights
Charter of Fundamental Rights
ECHR judgments


Time of classes:
Fall.


Scheduled classes:
The course will be taught with lectures of 26 hours (13 x 2 hours).

Form of instruction:
The lectures include active student participation. In-class discussions are encouraged and based on the reading for each week.

A voluntary written analysis of a human rights case at the ECtHR or the CJEU or an issue of relevance in European Human Rights can be handed in.

1 ECTS is equivalent to 27 working hours. An estimated retail distribution of the workload of an average student can be:

Activity
Hours
Lectures
19,5
Preparation
55
Paper
32,5
Preparation for exam
20
Examination
8
Total
135



Time of examination:
Ordinary examination in January, December for exchange students. Re-examination in February. Participation in re-examination requires participation in the examination in January.


Examination conditions:
None.

Form of examination for the certificate:
Take home.

Supplemental information for the form of examination:
The exam is a 24 hour individual written take home exam. The students are tested in the goals of the course by a variety of questions which amongst others can include short answer questions, essay questions and questions relating to specified judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. The questions are based on the “pensum”.

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Duration: Date for submission will appear from the examination plan.
Location: Home assignment.
Internet Access: Necessary
Hand Out: Course page in Blackboard
Hand In: Via SDUassignment in the course page in Blackboard.
Extent: No limitations
Exam Aids: All exam aids allowed. Communication with others is not allowed.


Programmes:
HA(jur.)
5th semester, elective subject. Offered in: Odense
Jura
5th semester, elective subject. Offered in: Odense