• E4J University Module Series: Counter-Terrorism

• Module 3: Overview of the International Counter-Terrorism Legal Framework

• Introduction and learning outcomes

• Key issues

• • Defining the 'Rule of Law'
  • United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy
  • International cooperation and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Strategy
  • Legal sources and the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy
  • Regional and national approaches
  • International legal frameworks
  • International human rights law
  • International humanitarian law
  • International refugee law
  • Current challenges to the international legal framework

• Exercises and case studies

• Possible class structure

• Core reading

• Advanced reading

• Student assessment

• Additional teaching tools

• References

 

Published in July 2018.

 

 

  This module is a resource for lecturers  

 

Student assessment

 

This section provides suggestions for post-class assignments for the purpose of assessing students' understanding of the Module. Suggestions for pre-class or in-class assignments are provided in the Exercises section.

Assessment questions

• Critically evaluate the current international legal framework, as reflected in the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy 2006, in terms of its overall coherence, strengths, weaknesses and potential gaps.
• Identify and analyse current significant law, policy and/or practice hurdles hindering the full and effective operationalization of the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy.
• Discuss whether binding 'hard' law obligations are always more effective in practice than non-binding 'soft' instruments, citing concrete examples to support your answer.
• Which of the following United Nations organs/entities - Security Council, General Assembly or Human Rights Council - do you consider to be currently the most significant and active in furthering the goals of the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy, and why? Please give concrete examples to support your answer.
• Often key legal principles within the United Nations system are referred to in terms of being "indivisibly interrelated" and "mutually reinforcing". Critically assess these descriptions in relation to the relationship between international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international refugee law.
• "Terrorists don't follow the rules so why should States and governments?" Discuss from a rule of law perspective.
• Critically evaluate similarities and differences between the principle of non-refoulement in article 33(2) of the 1951 Refugee Convention and article 3 of the 1985 Convention against Torture.

 

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