Disclaimer: Please note that the following description of the course is subject to change until 31-08-2018. Students cannot derive any rights from the current information.
Admission requirements
Master degree.
Course information
This course engages in children’s rights as part of international human rights law, including the historical development of children’s rights, the position of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in relation to other UN human rights instruments and the relation between the CRC and regional human rights instruments such as the European Convention on Human Rights, the African Charter on the Rights and the Welfare of the Child and the American Convention on Human Rights. In addition, it provides students with thorough knowledge and understanding of the position of children’s rights in other areas of international law, including human rights law, international labour law, international humanitarian law and international criminal law. Particular attention will be devoted to the added value of other legal instruments compared to the CRC as well as to the role of international institutions for the interpretation and implementation of children’s rights, including, inter alia, treaty bodies, human rights courts, international criminal courts or UN institutions.
Course objectives
After this course the student will be able to:
scrutinize the main features of the UN and regional human rights systems, including the ways in which different human rights protection mechanisms co-exist, overlap and may influence each other;
assess the development of international children’s rights-, its main features and ‘added value’;
assess the different workings of different human and children’s rights protection mechanisms at the UN and regional level, and its interaction with domestic protection mechanisms;
assess the strengths and weaknesses of the various UN and regional protection mechanisms for children within their political, social and legal setting;
write a case note and offer a critical analysis of a case is a well-structured and well-argued manner.
Mode of instruction
10 weeks of lectures and seminars of two hours each
2 Field trips to UNICEF and the International Criminal Court
Materials produced in class, such as papers or video’s, may not be published online or in any other form be released without prior approval. This is not permitted because of the explicit reference to this advanced master’s programme of Leiden University and/or references to the sources used.
Examination method
Written exam: 70%
Written papers and oral presentation: 30%
The final grade for the course is established by determining the weighted average.
Blackboard
The course manual and the week overviews & reading lists will be published on Blackboard.
Submission of papers via Blackboard using SafeAssign.
Course materials
The reading materials will be available electronically via Blackboard, via the online catalogue or as a paper copy in the Leiden law Library. The availability (either online or as a paper version) of each of the materials will be indicated via Blackboard at least one week prior to the scheduled lecture. In addition, you are advised to use the Handbook on European law relating to the rights of the child, which will be given to you, free of charge, on your first day.
Contact
Coordinator of the course:
Dr. K.F.M. Klep
Telephone number: 0031 (0)-71 527 1325
Email address: k.f.m.klep@law.leidenuniv.nl
Programme Officer:
Ms. Esther Uiterweerd
Telephone number: 0031 (0)-71 527 4644
Email address: childrensrights@law.leidenuniv.nl