Course coordinator
Dr Lauren Sanders
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (25/10/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- External
- Attendance mode
- Online
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Law School
This course will examine contemporary issues in public international and comparative law. Topics will vary from year to year, drawing on the innovative research of TC Beirne School of Law academic staff, as well as the expertise of visiting scholars and leading practitioners. Please refer to the Law School website for current topics.
A typical range of topics will include issues relating to comparative criminal law, international human rights law, European Union law, Islamic law, international organizations, and South Pacific Law.
In Semester 2, 2025 the topic of LAWS7724 Current Issues in International Law (Public) is International Criminal Law.
In this course, students will be introduced to the general principles of international criminal law and the basics of international criminal procedure. In addition to discussing the general legal obligations to ensure respect for the laws of armed conflict/international humanitarian law, the course will include a practical focus on the legal frameworks for the investigation and prosecution of both international and domestic atrocity crimes. It will commence with a general view of the legal sources of international criminal law, before focusing on specific international criminal law provisions.
Students will complete an individual research project on a legal issue, based upon a fictitious ICC case. The final assessment will require research related to a fictitious prosecution submission on this same case. It offers students an opportunity to translate legal principles of international law into practice and understand the challenges presented in enforcing international legal obligations, from both a theoretical and practical perspective. The course includes multiple guest lecturers with experience in the investigation and prosecution of international crimes domestically and internationally.
Students should have completed or currently be taking LAWS7710 Public International Law and LAWS7711 Laws of Armed Conflict.
Note that this course deals with distressing content. If you need any assistance navigating the various services available, and don’t know where to start, please reach out to our Law School’s student support officer, Dony Rodriguez viaﾠlawlife@uq.edu.au.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Students should have completed or currently be taking LAWS7710 Public International Law.
Restrictions
Students in LLM 16 unit, LLM 24 unit, MIL and MIR/MIL only.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Lauren Sanders
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
The course will be intensively over two weekends, with eight seminars held over four days. Seminars will include guest presenters who are experts and practitioners in international criminal law.
Students are required to do some readings and Multi Choice Quizzes set the week before each weekend session to prepare students for the seminar.
20-24 Oct: Monday - Friday: Multi-choice quiz 1.
25 Oct: Saturday - Seminar 1 and 2.
26 Oct: Sunday - Seminar 3 and 4.
27-30 Oct: Monday - Thursday: Multi-choice quiz 2.
31 Oct: Friday, 1400 AEST: First assessment (legal advice).
1 Nov: Saturday - Seminar 5 and 6.
2 Nov: Sunday - Seminar 7 and 8.
13 Nov: Thursday, 1400 AEST: Final paper due.
Students are expected to engage with up to 1 hour of recorded material or written equivalent posted on Blackboard for each Seminar. This material may comprise recorded lectures, other video content, and audio files such as interviews or podcasts, articles, blogs, reports or book chapters.
Aims and outcomes
Education Mission Statement
The mission of the School of Law is to educate you in and about the law. We seek to assist you to think critically about the law and to investigate its structures, principles, policies, and values. This is achieved by engaging with you as fellow investigators in a range of critical and intellectual conversations about the law and its place in society. Our role is thus to guide you in your own intellectual journey in the law and to equip you with the necessary skills that will enable you to continue that journey long after you have left the School.
Course Aims
Current Issues in International law (Public): International Criminal Lawﾠis designed to give students a comprehensive and critical understanding of the challenges and opportunities to translate general international legal principles into practice. The course is interactive, and students are expected to prepare for and actively participate in class discussion and activities.ﾠThe course willﾠimproveﾠstudents’ abilities to research the law in context, analyseﾠinternational and domestic legal materials, present ideas and develop cogent and effective legal submissions. In particular, the course will aid in considering complex legal problems as well as the presentation of practical submissions related to specific legal problems. This will occur both orally in class discussions and in writing for the formal assessment tasks. It will equip students with the skills to think criticallyﾠabout adapting legal requirements into practical enforcement frameworks.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand the legal principles influencing the creation and development of international criminal law.
LO2.
Critically evaluate the effectiveness of international criminal law enforcement and prevention mechanisms.
LO3.
Identify, interpret and apply the appropriate rules and principles of international criminal law.
LO4.
Undertake legal research to identify problems and/or draft submissions in response to a particular international criminal law case legal.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz |
Seminar Prep Quizzes
|
10% Based upon completion of 2 quizzes. |
Quiz 1: 20/10/2025 - 24/10/2025 Quiz 2: 27/10/2025 - 30/10/2025 |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Legal Advice
|
30% - 1,500 words |
31/10/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Final Paper
|
60% |
13/11/2025 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Seminar Prep Quizzes
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 10% Based upon completion of 2 quizzes.
- Due date
Quiz 1: 20/10/2025 - 24/10/2025
Quiz 2: 27/10/2025 - 30/10/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03
Task description
The Quizzes will be made available during the advertised window, and will be drawn upon mandatory course preparation materials. An ungraded practice Quiz will be provided in Week 8 of semester to aid in preparation for the assessed quizzes.
There will be 5 questions for each quiz, relevant to the readings and preparation for that class, as well as material covered in previous seminars.
This assessment forms an important component of student learning in LAWS7724 – Current Issues in International Law. They have been carefully selected to assist in building core knowledge and developing higher-order, critical and creative thinking and problem-solving skills which are necessary for future legal study, analysis and practices.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Completed online through Course site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension to Assessment Due Date
Where an extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered is available, any extension is limited to one week (7 days). In exceptional circumstances, extensions may be granted for more than one week, but in no case will an extension exceed four weeks (28 days) in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure .
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.
Late submission
Submissions outside the available window must be requested through the course coordinator.
Legal Advice
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 30% - 1,500 words
- Due date
31/10/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03, L04
Task description
This assessment involves preparing a research proposal on a topic agreed with the course coordinator(s). The issues discussed during seminars should give you some idea about suitable topics, but talk with the course coordinator(s) sooner rather than later if you have difficulty settling on a topic. The research proposal will justify the choice of the topic, introduce the suggested analysis and the issues to be addressed, develop the outline of the research, and propose a bibliography.
The word limit for the proposal is 1,500 words (excluding citations in footnotes and the bibliography). The word count must appear on the first page of the proposal. Words beyond the 1,500 word limit will not be marked.
Detailed feedback will be provided on the plan to assist students in refining their project for the final assessment.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Assignments must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension to Assessment Due Date
Where an extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered is available, any extension is limited to one week (7 days). In exceptional circumstances, extensions may be granted for more than one week, but in no case will an extension exceed four weeks (28 days) in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure .
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Penalties for Late Submission
The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).
First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.
Final Paper
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
13/11/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03, L04
Task description
This assessment entails writing a research paper. The paper should take the form of an article suitable for publication in a law journal. The idea is to give you the opportunity to develop and demonstrate the research, analytical and writing skills required to produce a substantial, original academic paper of publishable standard, whilst drawing upon the material discussed during the course.
The paper should build on the work submitted in the Research Paper Outline, taking into account any written or oral feedback provided by the marker.
The word limit for the paper is 5,000 words (excluding citations in footnotes and the bibliography). The word count must appear on the first page of the paper. Words beyond the 5,000 word limit will not be marked.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Assignments must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension to Assessment Due Date
Where an extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered is available, any extension is limited to one week (7 days). In exceptional circumstances, extensions may be granted for more than one week, but in no case will an extension exceed four weeks (28 days) in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure .
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Penalties for Late Submission
The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).
First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 47 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 48 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
Marking guides for assessments are provided on Blackboard.
For both written assessments: These tasks have been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Seminar sheets and reading materials are included in the course materials
Students will be directed to relevant resources (including treaties, legislation, cases, journal articles and book chapters) that are available digitally via the UQ Library catalogue and a reading list for the course.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (20 Oct - 26 Oct) |
Seminar |
Seminar 1: Sat, 25 Oct, 0900-1200 Introduction to ICL This seminar will introduce the topic of ICL, including a brief overview of its genesis and contemporary application; and a brief survey of the key international legal instruments that drive it. Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Seminar |
Seminar 2: Sat, 25 Oct, 1300-1600 Criminal Responsibility This lecture will address the substantive law relating to criminal responsibility under ICL. Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
|
Seminar |
Seminar 3: Sun, 26 Oct, 0900-1200 Offences and General Principles This Seminar will address general legal principles of ICL and which offences make up the corpus of ICL. It will include a guest lecture on ICL offences on the atrocity crimes that form the body of ICL. Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
|
Seminar |
Seminar 4: Sun, 26 Oct, 1300-1600 Proofs and Evidence This Seminar will discuss the elements of ICL offences and how to prove atrocity crimes; and trace the development of rules of evidence in numerous ICL forum. This Seminar will include a guest lecturer, who will describe their experiences with international tribunals and how the rules of evidence operate, and how the mechanisms and functions of ICL judicial organs interact. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 2 (27 Oct - 02 Nov) |
Seminar |
Seminar 5: Sat, 1 Nov, 0900-1200 Investigation and Procedure This seminar will canvas the process for investigation of ICL Crimes and Rules of Procedure. This Seminar will include a guest lecture by an ICC investigator, sharing their experience in investigating international criminal offences for the ICC and the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (MICT). It will also discuss challenges related to gaining custody of the accused. Learning outcomes: L01, L04 |
Seminar |
Seminar 6: Sat 1 Nov, 1300-1600 The ICC This Seminar will discuss the International Criminal Court, its precedent, practice and procedures. It will include a guest lecture from a prosecution or defence counsel of the ICC, explaining the practical challenges to running an ICC prosecution. Learning outcomes: L01, L04 |
|
Seminar |
Seminar 7: Sun 2 Nov, 0900-1200 Domestic application and universal jurisdiction This class will discuss the domestic application of ICL in Australia, including recent updates to the Cth Criminal Code, issues of complementarity and gaps in accountability. This Seminar will include a guest lecture by Dr Melinda Rankin on how the legacy of Nuremberg has impacted state prosecutions of atrocity crimes using universal jurisdiction; and then discuss the application of UJ in Australia. Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
|
Seminar |
Seminar 8: Sun 2 Nov, 1300-1600 The Future of ICL This seminar will summarise the learnings of the previous seminars, and look at developments in ICL and current reviews of ICL mechanisms. Learning outcomes: L01, L04 |
Additional learning activity information
Each seminar will comprise of a practitioner-expert presentation accompanied by a lecture on content and seminar activity to reinforce learning outcomes and provide an opportunity to discuss the content for that Seminar.
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: