Admission requirements
Required course(s):
None.
Description
This course examines the role of sovereignty and statehood in today’s world order. It begins with an introduction to sovereignty, covering the internal (domestic) and external (international) dimension of sovereignty, as well as sovereignty in relation to self-determination, colonialism, decolonization, intervention, and European integration. Students will gain a firm understanding of the historical, legal, and political foundations of sovereignty, and the role of statehood in international law. The seminars will introduce the students to key concepts such as: the legal personality of States; the criteria, forms, and attributes of statehood; the recognition of emerging States; jurisdiction; as well as State responsibility. The theory is contextualized through a series of case studies, which provide practical, present-day examples of the tensions between sovereignty, statehood, and international intervention.
Course Objectives
Students will be invited to reflect on the historical as well as the modern-day manifestations of sovereignty and statehood. After successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
In term of skills:
Discuss and apply the relevant international law to actual cases involving issues of statehood and sovereignty;
Analyse international treaties and judgments to reflect on outcomes of international disputes relating to statehood and sovereignty;
Develop and present sophisticated and coherent legal arguments both orally and in writing.
In terms of knowledge:
Understand the origins and development of the notion of sovereignty and how it relates to statehood;
Comprehend the history of statehood and the impact of colonialism, decolonisation and globalisation on sovereignty and statehood.
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2024-2025 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
The course consists of seminars to discuss the readings and to position the weekly topics in the overall context of the course. As the course advances, we move on to an in-depth analysis of the case studies. These case studies have been selected to illustrate the themes and problems introduced in the seminars.
Assessment Method
Newspaper article analysis – 11%
Group presentation – 19%
Midterm problem question-based exam - 25%
Final exam – 45%
Reading list
No fixed textbook will be used for this course. The links to the required readings will be provided on Brightspace.
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC course, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Emelie Andersin, e.m.a.andersin@luc.leidenuniv.nl (Block 3, Block 4)
Dr. Otto Spijkers, o.spijkers@luc.leidenuniv.nl (Block 3)
Remarks
The course on sovereignty and statehood lays the foundations for success in the upper-level courses in the International Justice Major, by developing the skills necessary to form independent and well-founded opinions on the central questions of contemporary international law.