This course builds upon the compulsory International Law course (LAWS2250 (LLB(Hons))/6250 (JD)). 

Having reviewed the structure and principles of international law, this course is intended to round out the coverage of ‘general’ public international law by focusing on areas only partially dealt with in the compulsory course and which warrant further consideration in light of their importance. Coverage may consequently vary from year to year and include, for instance, the following topics: aspects of territory in international law; State responsibility, international organisations; aspects of treaty law (notably treaty interpretation); and jurisdiction. Occasionally parts of the course will consist of focused case studies of a current situation or event which raises important issues of international law. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Critically analyse the contextual underpinnings of the norms that have evolved in the international community:
2. Review and analyse the substantive norms that have been developed at the international level in relation to the topics studied;
3. Synthesise and apply legal principles and techniques to a factually complex international law problem; and
4. Plan and conduct a legal research project in the context of international law.

Research-Led Teaching

The teaching in this course is informed by the research expertise and interest of the course convener.

Required Resources

There is no set textbook for this course. A list with recommended resources will be provided, and additional links to cases, readings and resources will be provided on the course Canvas page.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Task submission times refer to Canberra time (AEST/AEDT).

Extensions, late submission and penalties: https://law.anu.edu.au/extensions-late-submission-and-penalties

Extenuating circumstances: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/extenuating-circumstances-application

Deferred examination: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/deferred-examinations

Penalties for excess word length: https://law.anu.edu.au/word-length-and-excess-word-penalties

Distribution of grades policy: https://law.anu.edu.au/grading

Assessment Reviews and Appeals: https://law.anu.edu.au/assessment-review-and-appeals

Further information about the course: is available from the course Canvas page. Students are required to access the Canvas site regularly throughout the course for any announcements relating to the course.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The ANU Academic Integrity website (https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills/academic-integrity ) provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as providing clear guidance on the responsible and ethical use of AI technologies.

The following resources may also be useful:

• The ANU Library's Libguide (https://libguides.anu.edu.au/generative-ai ) is a valuable resource for gaining a comprehensive understanding of AI's role in academia.

• The ANU Academic Skills site (https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills ) provides useful information to ensure that you leverage AI responsibly and effectively.

• The ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy Academic Integrity and Misconduct site (https://law.anu.edu.au/academic-integrity-and-misconduct) provides content related to legal implications, ethical guidelines, and considerations when dealing with AI in the context of law.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to the course; International Law in Time & Context	The first week of class will be pre-recorded online material. Please make sure you fully engage with this material before face to face classes start in week 2.
2	Revisiting the sources of international law	In line with the University’s recording policy, lectures/seminars will be recorded and made available for students on Echo360.However, lecture recordings are only an additional resource and they should not be taken as a substitute for regular attendance. If a recording does fail, there is no guarantee a replacement recording will be provided.
3	International Law and Territory (Part 1)
4	International Law and Territory (Part 2)
5	Jurisdiction and Immunities (Part 1)	Reflective Note 1 (Assessment Task 1) due.
6	Jurisdiction and Immunities (Part 2)
7	International Dispute Resolution at the ICJ (Part 1)
8	International Dispute Resolution at the ICJ (Part 2)
9	International Law and Current Conflicts	Reflective Note 2 (Assessment Task 2) due.
10	International Law and Climate Change
11	International Law and Pandemics
12	Course summary and conclusion

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials / seminars so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the My Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Reflective Note 1	20 %	24/08/2026	31/08/2026	1,2
Reflective Note 2	20 %	28/09/2026	06/10/2026	1,2
In-class Participation	10 %	*	02/11/2026	1,2,3
Re-Drafting Exercise	50 %	09/11/2026	09/12/2026	3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Canvas’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

For all courses taught in any mode (whether face to face or online), the ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy considers participation in the classes offered to be an important part of the educational experience of the program. Students are expected to attend all classes.

Examination(s)

There is no final examination for this course.

Assessment Task 1

Reflective Note 1

Details of Task: This course relies heavily on class participation and discussion. At the start of week 5, you are expected to submit a reflective class note of 1000 words. Each note must develop in writing one of the class questions/exercises that you participated in from weeks 2 - 4. The choice of the class exercise/question is entirely up to you, as long as you were in class for its discussion. You should use this opportunity to reflect critically on one of these questions/exercises and draw connections with the broader material we discussed in class, and/or connections with material beyond the course. All students are expected to be available during the assignment period to complete this assessment task.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to complete will result in a mark of zero for this task.

Weighting: 20%

Word Limit: 1000 words (not including footnotes). The ANU School of Law's Word Length and Excess Word penalties policy can be found here.

Submission Requirement: Footnotes should be used for the referencing of all sources. All references should be compliant with the current edition of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation. Your submission must be made in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). PDF files will not be accepted.

Due Date: 5pm, 24 August 2026. Late submissions (without an extension) are permitted, but late penalties will apply. 

Estimated Return Date: 31 August 2026

Assessment Criteria:

• Familiarity with and understanding of class discussions; 
• Ability to combine theory and practical examples; 
• Reflexivity and analytical thinking; 
• Appropriate and/or creative format.

Assessment Task 2

Reflective Note 2

Details of Task: This course relies heavily on class participation and discussion. At the start of week 8 you are expected to submit a reflective class note of 1000 words. Each note must develop in writing one of the class questions/exercises that you participated in from weeks 5 - 7. The choice of the class exercise/question is entirely up to you, as long as you were in class for its discussion. You should use this opportunity to reflect critically on one of these questions/exercises and draw connections with the broader material we discussed in class, and/or connections with material beyond the course. All students are expected to be available during the assignment period to complete this assessment task.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to complete will result in a mark of zero for this task.

Weighting: 20%

Word Limit: 1000 words (not including footnotes). The ANU School of Law's Word Length and Excess Word penalties policy can be found here.

Submission Requirement: Footnotes should be used for the referencing of all sources. All references should be compliant with the current edition of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation. Your submission must be made in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). PDF files will not be accepted.

Due Date: 5pm, 28 September 2026. Late submissions (without an extension) are permitted, but late penalties will apply. 

Estimated Return Date: 6 October 2026

Assessment Criteria:

• Familiarity with and understanding of class discussions; 
• Ability to combine theory and practical examples; 
• Reflexivity and analytical thinking; 
• Appropriate and/or creative format.

Assessment Task 3

In-class Participation

Details of Task: Given the importance of interactive learning for this course, you will be given a mark for your contributions in the live seminars.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to complete will result in a mark of zero for this task.

Weighting: 10%

Estimated Return Date: 2 November 2026

Assessment Criteria:

• Quality of your class interventions (meaning that quantity is not enough);
• Preparation for seminars (including listening to lectures, reading recommended readings and reading class activities);
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with your fellow students in the completion of class activities;
• Demonstrated ability to express your own opinions in a convincing, concise and respectful way.

Assessment Task 4

Re-Drafting Exercise

Details of Task: For your third assessment, you will be asked to re-write a provision of a treaty/international law document. The treaty provisions will be released at the beginning of week 4.

Apart from the re-drafted provision, you are expected to submit a 2500-word explanatory note that justifies the changes you implemented. This requires you to identify the problem/s with your chosen provision, and a justification of why your redrafting addresses those problem/s. Your reasons might be practical/doctrinal (the earlier provision was badly drafted resulting in ambiguity), or political (the earlier provision contributed in some way to injustice) or a combination of both.

If you wish to choose a different provision of a treaty to the released, you may do so with approval from the course convener. The treaty provision must relate to material covered in the course and approval must be sought by 31 August 2026.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to complete will result in a mark of zero for this task.

Weighting: 50%

Word limit: 2500 words for the explanatory note (not including footnotes). No specific word limit for the re-drafted provision. A bibliography should be provided for the explanatory note: this will not count towards the word limit. The ANU School of Law's Word Length and Excess Word penalties policy can be found here.

Submission Requirement: Footnotes should be used for the referencing of all sources. All references should be compliant with the current edition of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation. Your submission must be made in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). PDF files will not be accepted.

Due Date: 5pm, 9 November 2026. Late submissions (without an extension) are permitted, but late penalties will apply. Please be aware that if you are in your final course(s), this may delay your conferral date.

Estimated Return Date: 9 December 2026.

Assessment Criteria:

• Knowledge and understanding of the jurisprudence and literally surrounding the selected provision;
• Whether the re-drafted provision addresses the problem(s) identified;
• The quality of your research, including, but not limited to: the breadth and depth of your research; the choice and combination of primary and secondary materials; the ability to synthesise different materials rather than simply quoting or summarising them.
• Construction of a clear argument that is persuasive and grounded on your materials. Engagement with counter-arguments will generally be considered a strength.
• Presentation, style and referencing: the clarity of the structure and the organisation of the paper/appropriate referencing that acknowledging the work of others and its impact on the arguments of the student.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. You must ensure that you upload the correct document on the specified submission due date and time. Any document modified after the due date and time will either incur a late penalty or will NOT be accepted. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education), submission must be through Turnitin in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). Electronic copies in .pdf file format are not acceptable.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item.

• Late submission is not accepted for tests or examinations.

• Late submission with an extension. To ensure equity for all students, the 5% penalty per working day for late submission of work does not apply if you have been granted an extension. Where an extension is granted, the revised due date and submission time will be provided in writing. Importantly, any revised due date is inclusive of weekends and public holidays. Regardless of which day of the week the revised due date falls on, students who submit after that date will be penalised by 5% of the possible marks available for the task per 24-hour period.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Returning Assignments

All marks and feedback will be provided by the return date listed in the class summary.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

• Maximum Submissions: Students can submit up to three times per assessment.

• Final Submission Counts: Only the last uploaded version will be marked — provided it is uploaded before marking begins.

• Late Submissions: If submitted after the due date, the final version will still be marked, but late penalties will apply (unless an extension has been approved).

• No Submissions After Return Date: Once the return-of-assessment date has passed, NO submissions will be accepted.

• Marking Already Started: If a marker has already begun marking a version, that version will be the one assessed — even if a newer one is uploaded later.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students