Instructor: Dr. Mateja Steinbrück Platise, M.Jur (Oxford)

Time and Venue

Fr.         14:00 bis 18:00               Einzel    am 14.06.2024              RuW 1.101

Fr.         14:00 bis 18:00               Einzel    am 28.06.2024              RuW 1.101

Fr.         14:00 bis 18:00               Einzel    am 05.07.2024              RuW 3.102

Fr.         14:00 bis 18:00               Einzel    am 12.07.2024              RuW 1.303

Fr.         14:00 bis 18:00               Einzel    am 26.07.2024              RuW 1.101     

Language of Instruction: English

Type of Exam: Klausur

Aim of the Course

Few areas of international law develop as rapidly as international dispute settlement, involving various international courts and tribunals, governments, law firms, civil society actors and other state and none-state actors all over the globe. The course aims to provide students with an understanding of some of the basic concepts and principles in international dispute settlement, and to give an overview over the range of non-judicial and judicial methods of dispute settlement in public international law. It contrasts the use of these methods in different legal fields and examines some of the most prominent institutional settings in which international dispute settlement operates. Students will be involved in debates and case studies throughout the course, being encouraged to critically evaluate differences and common features of various dispute settlement mechanisms as well as their relationship, potentials and shortcomings.

Course Overview

Part I: Basic Concepts and Principles

1. Introduction
2. The Concept of International Dispute
3. Justiciability
4. The Obligation of Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes

Part II: Methods of Dispute Settlement

1. Negotiation, Good Offices and Mediation
2. Inquiry and Conciliation
3. Arbitration
4. Adjudication
5. The Interaction between Diplomatic and Adjudicative Means

Part III: Fields and Institutions

1. The United Nations and the International Court of Justice
2. The Dispute Settlement under the Law of the Sea Convention
3. International Trade and Investment Dispute Settlement
4. Human Rights Litigation
5. International Criminal Courts and Tribunals
6. Environmental Protection

Part IV: Selected Trends and Challenges

1. Structural Bias
2. Competing Forums
3. Implementation
4. Informal Governance Mechanism