LEG 330 Humanitarian Law

This course will focus on the development of Humanitarian Law (also referred to as the Law of War or the Law of Armed Conflict). The emphasis will be on the development of humanitarian law, primarily in the past century, and the different approaches to international and non-international armed conflict. Furthermore, this course will look at the various crimes that are connected to armed conflict. The final portion of this course will focus on the mechanisms of justice for international crimes, including the International Criminal Court, ad hoc tribunals, and alternative justice, such as truth and reconciliation commissions. Students will gain an understanding of how humanitarian law is rapidly evolving as conflicts evolve (from traditional international armed conflict to non-international armed conflict and acts of terrorism), and how crimes committed therein can be dealt with through both traditional and non-traditional justice.