International Human Rights Law

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, to which the internationalization of human rights can be traced, these rights have been defined and identified with increasing precision in numerous international treaties, whether universal or regional in character and of general or specific content. "International Human Rights law" borns out of intense struggles and develop in constant contestations with power and power relations. It tends to achieve an advanced integration between the various national legal systems, over and above political divergences and disparities to the aim to protecting the human being and his dignity. However, while the formulation of protected rights at world level is very advanced, less progress has been made in their implementation. Indeed, recent events show that massive and repeated violations of human rights are spreading. The aim of this course is, therefore, to study not only the definition of human rights contained in the fundamental acts on the subject, but also the international supervisory mechanisms set up to check that the rights enunciated are effectively guaranteed within state systems.
The course is divided into three modules.
Module 1 introduces the development of Human Rights and International Human Rights Law, focusing on the system of IHRL at the global level, in particular on the Un Human Rights Treaty System.
Module 2 concerns the Regional Human Rights Treaty Systems, focusing on the European Convention of Human rights and its supervisory mechanism. A critical review of the European Court of Human Rights's jurisprudence and its impact on the development of international human rights law will be addresssed.
Module 3 introduces students to a selection of interrelated substantive human rights. Particular attention is paid to landmark decisions from international courts and monitoring bodies. Simplified moot court exercises.