Admission requirements
Master Degree
Course Description
This course intends to give students a thorough knowledge and understanding of the European human rights system. Together with the course on International Human Rights Law it provides the foundation for the rest of the programme.
The course covers human rights protection mechanisms within the Council of Europe as well as human rights protection under European Union law. In respect of the former the European Convention on Human Rights plays a central role. In addition attention will be paid to the European Social Charter and other human rights instruments the Council of Europe has developed, such as the European Committee for the Protection against Torture (CPT) and the Commissioner for human rights. As far as human rights protection under European Union law is concerned, the development of EU involvement with human rights and the position of the Charter of Fundamental Rights will play a central role. Of course, this will include the relationship with the European Convention on Human Rights.
Time and again particular attention will be paid to the different roles and impact of the various human rights mechanisms.
Course Objectives
Students have gain a profound knowledge and understanding the main features of the ECHR and the functioning of the ECHR supervisory mechanism. They can articulate and explain the way in which the ECHR rights are applied and interpreted in practice. They can predict the outcome of certain designated cases by applying the existing doctrines of the ECtHR.
Students can compare and evaluate the role of the co-existing human rights protection mechanisms within the Council of Europe. They can deduce their strengths and weaknesses.
Students acquire a thorough knowledge of the role human rights play within the EU. They can articulate and explain how this affects the economic integration within the EU as well as the external relations of the EU and the position of the EU Court of Justice in relation to the Member States.
Students are able to analyse and evaluate decisions of a human rights body and present comments on these decisions, comparing it with other decisions of the same body or other bodies.
Student are able to relate a situation that is presented to them to the European human rights standards that are applicable and can analyse whether or not this situation is in compliance with European human rights law.
Mode of Instruction
Lectures/seminars:
Number of lectures/seminars: 12-16 lectures/seminars. Most seminars take 2 hours each, some are scheduled as double seminars.
Names of lecturers: E. Arenas Catalán, Dr. J.P. Loof, Prof. R.A. Lawson, Prof. dr. P.R. Rodrigues, Dr. J. Uzman, Dr. A.E.M. Leijten, Prof. dr. W. Hins and/or other lecturers.
Required preparation by students: read the compulsory course materials; prepare questions and cases; prepare group presentations or interventions during a debate; find and analyse additional materials to prepare for such assignments.
Assessment method
Assessment method(s) and the weighting of each form of assessment towards the final grade
Assessment method(s) and the weighting of each form of assessment towards the final grade
Written Open book exam Part I (50% of the final mark).
Written open book exam Part II (40% of the mark).
“Blog post” (10% of the final mark).
Submission procedures
Exam to be submitted in writing, hard copy, to course co-ordinator.
“Blog post” to be submitted via Blackboard using SafeAssign.
Areas to be tested within the exam
The examination syllabus consists of the required reading (literature) for the course, the course information guide and the subjects taught in the lectures, the seminars and all other instructions which are part of the course.
Reading list
Literature:
*No complete books are prescribed for this course. All reading materials will be made available in Blackboard
Reader:
- Course reader is available to be downloaded from Blackboard
Recommended course materials Preferably to be read before the course starts, to acquire a basic idea of the issues that will be dealt with in depth during the course:
M. Bond, The Council of Europe and Human Rights, Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing 2010, 85 pp.
J. F. Renucci, Introduction to the European Convention on Human Rights. The rights guaranteed and the protection mechanism, Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing 2005, 125 pp.
Ilias Bantekas & Lutz Oette, International Human Rights Law and Practice, Cambridge University Press 2013, § 6.2 (The European Human Rights System), p. 221-243.
Contact information
Co-ordinator: prof. T. Loenen (acting coordinator)
Contact information: Leiden University, Faculty of Law, Institute of Public Law
Kamerlingh Onnes Gebouw, Steenschuur 25, 2311 ES Leiden, Room number B114
*Tel. +31 71 527 3689
*email: m.l.p.loenen@law.leidenuniv.nl
Institution/division
Institute: Public law
Administration advanced masters: BIO
Mrs. Mahshid Alizadeh (LL.M.): m.alizadeh@law.leidenuniv.nl