LAW4122 Public international law
Faculty of Law
LAW4122 Public international law is a level 4, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Law, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before LAW4122
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After LAW4122
No unit lists LAW4122 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must have completed at least 60 credit points of law study.
Equivalent units
The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.
Overview
Topics include: theory of international law; the place of States in international law, including their rights, obligations, status and jurisdiction; the sources of international law and how they are interpreted and applied; the implementation of international law by states, in particular Australia's approach; the nature of international disputes and their resolution; the law related to the use of force by States and self-defence; the role of international institutions; the role of individuals in international law; and specific areas of public international law, including the law of the sea and environmental law.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- In-class quizzesQuiz / Test10%
- Research assignmentWritten40%
- Written assessmentWritten50%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Critically evaluate the foundational principles, structures, and theories of public international law, including its relationship with domestic legal systems, the centrality of the state, and the concept of sovereignty.
- 2
Analyse and interpret international legal rules and institutions by applying recognised sources of international law, understanding the political context in which they operate, and deconstruct how sovereignty shapes legal outcomes.
- 3
Compare and evaluate differing state approaches to international law, with particular attention to Australia’s practice, the framework established under the UN Charter, and the positions of major powers such as China and the United States.
- 4
Demonstrate a foundational knowledge of international law, and be able to communicate effectively, appropriately and persuasively on issues pertaining to international law and sovereignty.
Workload and teaching
- Seminars36 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
Learning resources
Required resources
See the Moodle unit page for prescribed and recommended resources. Prescribed texts are usually available for purchase through the University Bookstore and are sometimes available for short-term loan or as eBooks through the library.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Todd Berry
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for LAW4122?
LAW4122 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is LAW4122 offered?
In 2026, LAW4122 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is LAW4122?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does LAW4122 have an exam?
No. LAW4122 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.