LW2WIU-War in Ukraine

Module Provider: School of Law
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:5
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Prof Rosa Freedman
Email: r.a.freedman@reading.ac.uk

Module Co-convenor: Prof Marko Milanovic
Email: m.milanovic@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

This module examines the war in Ukraine, with a specific focus on the legal issues arising in terms of the armed conflict and the impact around the world. Taking a case study approach, the module will explore the history of Ukraine and laws on state sovereignty; international laws and institutions, e.g on armed conflict, international criminal law, and international human rights law; legal issues arising in relation to displaced persons, refugees, trafficking, and safeguarding; and methods for resolving conflict and crisis situations. The module will give students the opportunity to understand and assess international law’s and its institutions’ ability to respond during times of grave crises.

Aims:

This module aims to respond to and engage with a major global crisis as it unfolds and impacts our students and our world. It will expose students to a range of disciplinary perspectives within and beyond international law that are relevant to the war in Ukraine, and to global crises generally. It will adopt a case study approach to enable students to explore and engage with current and topical issues that goes beyond a descriptive account of various areas of international law but also ensures that students are able to analyse and to critique the ability of international law and the broader international system to respond to this crisis. An interdisciplinary approach will be taken to each topic, with students exposed to broad and deep learning. We will consider the ways in which different areas of international law and institutions play a role in the war and in responses to the war. This will introduce students to the practical realities of international law ‘on the ground’, how it operates, and the strengths and weaknesses of that system.

Assessable learning outcomes:

On completion of the module, students will be expected to be able to:

• Demonstrate a substantive knowledge of a number of sub-areas of international law and institutions that engage questions of crisis situations.


• Debate and critique the relative merits and demerits of these sub-areas of international law, particularly in terms of their ability to respond to the war in Ukraine.

Demonstrate an ability to communicate about an aspect of the war in Ukraine in an accessible manner through a podcast.

Additional outcomes:

Those skills listed in the School of Law's ‘Core Skills Statement’.

Outline content:

The module will cover three or four topics in depth over the course of 10 seminars in the first term, with the second term’s first five seminars including 3 practitioner guest talks, and two seminars about the podcast assessment. The four core topics will focus on topics such as the following, although exact topics may vary slightly, and will be determined in coordination with other module convenors who may be including the War in Ukraine in their teaching materials for Part 2 students.

• Statehood, state sovereignty, and the right of self determination as applied to the history of and current situation within Ukraine.


• International humanitarian law, international criminal law, and human rights law.


• Response of the global community, including multilateral Institutions (e.g. United Nations, NATO, and the IFRC), neighbouring or allied countries, and the use of sanctions, coercive measures, and diplomacy.


• The role of legal institutions, fact-finding missions, and international and national investigations.

Global context:

This module focuses on an international armed conflict that has global repercussions. The relevant laws and institutions are international, leading to students learning to explore and understand law within a global context.Ìý Students will also engage with guest speakers who brin