Checking date: 26/04/2023


Course: 2023/2024

International courts and criminal law
(13629)
Dual Bachelor in International Studies and Law (Study Plan 2018) (Plan: 412 - Estudio: 321)


Coordinating teacher: FIODOROVA , ANNA

Department assigned to the subject: Criminal Law, Procedural Law and History Law Department

Type: Electives
ECTS Credits: 3.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:




Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)
Spanish Judicial System Public International Law Legal Theory of Crime Criminal Procedural Law Crime against people and against society
Objectives
- To get knowledge on the competences and procedures of the international tribunals related to the Criminal Law. - To get knowledge on the Rome Statute and International Criminal Court. - To get knowledge on the principle of universal jurisdiction and its application in Spain. - To get capacity of critical analysis of the case-law and legislation in force.
Skills and learning outcomes
Description of contents: programme
The programme consists of two parts: PART I 1. JURISDICTION AND COMPETENCE - Universal jurisdiction versus national jurisdiction - The role of the International Criminal Court a. History of the International Criminal Court b. Composition, nature and functioning of the International Criminal Court 2. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND JUSTICE - European Court of Human Right - Inter-American Court of Human Rights - Court of Justice of the European Union - International Criminal Court 3. THE PROCEDURE WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT - Legitimating - Commencement of proceedings - The intermediate phase - The trial - The verdict and its implementation PART II 4. GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND ELEMENTS OF THE CRIMINAL LAW IN THE STATUTE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT - - Principles: legality, not time-barred crimes, immunities - Crime author and participation - Intentionality. Error - Imperfect forms of execution - Grounds for excluding criminal responsibility 5. INTERNATIONAL CRIMES I - Concept and evolution - The crime of Genocide: Background. The Convention of 1948. Elements of the crime: a) Intentional element, b) Protected groups, c) Exclusion of cultural and political groups, d) The so-called self-genocide, e) Methods of commission - Crimes against humanity: a) evolution and concept, b) active and passive subjects, c) constitutive elements: in particular the massive and systematic nature of the conducts, d) commission modalities 6. INTERNATIONAL CRIMES II - War crimes: a) Origin and basis of the Ius in bello: the Hague and Geneva Conventions, b) The concept of armed conflict, c) Subjects and elements of the crime and elements of the crime - The crime of aggression: a) Concept, b) The question of legitimate self-defence 7. INTERNATIONAL CRIMES III - Other international crimes: torture and disappearance of persons, racial discrimination and apartheid - Ethnic cleansing as an international crime. Gender violence and armed conflicts - The international fight against terrorism. The concept of terrorism in United Nations and European Union legislation
Learning activities and methodology
The contents are organised through theoretical lessons (where the teacher will present the basic concepts of the course using visual /audio-visual materials) complemented with readings and videos and practical lessons (in which students, guided by the teacher shall apply the knowledge previously acquired in other practical cases).
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination 40
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 60
Calendar of Continuous assessment
Basic Bibliography
  • A. Cassese. International Criminal Law. Oxford. 2008
  • M. Glasius. The International Criminal Court : a global civil society achievement. Taylor & Francis. 2006
Recursos electrónicosElectronic Resources *
Additional Bibliography
  • Anna Fiodorova. "Terrorism as subject to Spanish Universal Jurisdicction" en Moreno Catena, V., Soleto Muñoz, H., Terrorism in Spain: a procedural approach. Tirant lo Blanch. 2017
  • Jean Marcel Fernandes. La Corte Penal Internacional : soberanía versus justicia universal . Reus. 2008
  • K. Ambos. Treatise on International Criminal Law: Volume 1. Oxford. 2013
  • K. Ambos. Treatise on International Criminal Law: Volume II: The Crimes and Sentencing . Oxford. 2013
(*) Access to some electronic resources may be restricted to members of the university community and require validation through Campus Global. If you try to connect from outside of the University you will need to set up a VPN


The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.