Overview of international human rights law

This unit is an overview of international human rights law, providing the requisite foundational knowledge for further study and practise in this area. After a brief introduction to public international law, the unit focuses on international human rights law concepts, including the competing theoretical and philosophical foundations of international human rights law, the historical development of modern international human rights law, and the debates surrounding universal, culturally relative and/or the pluralistic nature of human rights. It also provides detailed analysis of the international human rights institutions and enforcement mechanisms, focussing on the United Nations Charter- and Treaty-based systems. After a critical exploration of the different types of rights and the debates surrounding hierarchy and justiciability of rights, the unit focuses on the scope and content of civil and political rights, and economic, social and cultural rights. The unit examines the various methods and criteria for restricting the application of rights, including the derogation and limitations mechanisms. It includes an assessment of the relevance of international human rights law to Australian law and practice.