Admission requirements
An email address.
The course can be followed by law students and students from other relevant disciplines.
Description
This course addresses the possibilities of protecting children when they are confronted with the law. Children’s rights have been of growing importance in the last decade due to the influence of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Focusing on children’s rights, the course aims at preparing the student for a well-founded approach – based on the CRC and other legal instruments – of how to protect children in need when they are confronted with e.g. child abuse or neglect, detention and war. Students will be confronted with legal and other instruments of protecting children in need, with a specific focus on international law aspects.There will be 10 sessions of two hours each: introduction to children’s rights and the CRC, its monitoring system, influence and challenges (week 1), child abuse and neglect, child protection, children in alternative care (week 2), children in conflict with the law (children deprived of their liberty; children and extreme sanctions: week 3), children in armed conflict (week 4), child health (female genital mutilation; child marriage, e.g.: week 5).
Course objectives
Objectives of the course
The course will provide the basic knowledge of children’s rights as an element of fundamental human rights. Participants will be familiar with children’s rights sources, will understand the different tools for implementing and monitoring children’s rights from a human rights perspective and will be introduced with recent developments concerning children’s rights issues.
Achievement levels
The following achievement levels apply with regard to the course:
Academic skills and attitude: after a successful completion of this course, the student is able to write high quality papers on the theoretical aspects of complex (legal) children’s rights issues; and is able to present and defend his findings, and to critically appraise the findings of other students.
Knowledge: After a successful completion of this course, the student has gained a thorough knowledge of the CRC and other international legal instruments concerning the position of the child and a good picture of contemporary legal issues and developments focused on protection of children in need in different situations.
Timetable
To be announced on Blackboard
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Number of (2 hour) lectures:
Names of lecturers: .
Required preparation by students:
Seminars
Number of (2 hour) seminars: 10 (two seminars per week during 5 weeks)
Names of instructors: prof.mr.drs. M.R. Bruning, M.P. de Jong-de Kruijf Msc LLM BA, mr.drs. S.I. Spronk and guest lecturers
Required preparation by students: reading of literature/case law before class meetings
Please note that attendance of the seminars is compulsory. Contribution to the discussion in the seminars partly determines the final grade.
Other methods of instruction
Description:
Number of (2 hour) instructions:
Names of instructors:
Required preparation by students:
Assessment method
Examination form(s)
Students will write one paper (20 pages; the outlines of the papers will be discussed in week 3) and will prepare some assignments during the course.
Submission procedures
Each paper must be submitted in hard copy during the relevant seminar. Late submission means a reduction of points awarded to the paper.
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.
Blackboard
More information on this course is offered in “Blackboard”: http://blackboard.leidenuniv.nl/.
Reading list
Obligatory course materials
Literature:
Reader (to be announced on Blackboard)
Course information guide:
Outline as posted on Blackboard
Reader:
To be announced on Blackboard
Recommended course materials
None.
Registration
Contact information
Co-ordinator: M.P. de Jong-de Kruijf Msc LLM BA
Work address: KOG, Office B 3.33
Contact information: contact secretary private law department (mrs. M. Mooij)
Telephone number: 071 5277232
Email: m.p.dejong@law.leidenuniv.nl or s.i.spronk@law.leidenuniv.nl
Institution/division
Institute for Private Law
Department of Civil Law
Room number secretary: C.202
Opening hours: 9.00-17.00 uur
Telephone number secretary: 071-527 7401
Remarks
A maximum of 30 students can participate in this course.