LAWS8264 International Law of The Environment

LAWS8264 is only available under certain award programs.

Offered By	Law
Academic Career	Graduate Coursework
Course Subject	Laws
Offered in	Winter Session, 2009 and Winter Session, 2010
Unit Value	6 units
Course Description	This course introduces students to the nature of transboundary environmental challenges and the development of international norms and institutions to address them. Fundamental issues addressed by the course include: the ethical framework for international environmental policies and laws, the origin and development of international environmental law, sources of international environmental law, actors in global environmental governance and the nature of international environmental norms. Much of the course is devoted to specific subject areas of environmental governance such as: climate change, biodiversity and biosafety, marine environmental protection, the Antarctic environment, the implementation of international environmental law in Australia, and mechanisms for dispute settlement, compliance and enforcement.
Learning Outcomes	At the conclusion of this course students should: be able to engage critically with ethical debates surrounding environmental policy and law-making; understand the history and development of international environmental law as a distinct field of public international law; possess a thorough knowledge of the principles of international environmental law; possess a good knowledge of the main topic areas of international environmental law; understand the limits and utility of the norms relating to the global environment; appreciate the interaction and tension between various international actors and institutions in the development and implementation of international environmental norms; and be able to apply norms and principles of international environmental law in a problem-solving context.
Indicative Assessment	The proposed assessment for this course will comprise two compulsory items of assessment: (1) a short problem based assignment and (2) a lengthy research essay. Students must rely on the Approved Assessment which will be posted to the course homepage on the ANU Law website, prior to the commencement of the course.
Workload	26 Contact Hours (Intensive Delivery) Click here for 2009 Graduate Law Timetable
Course Classification(s)	AdvancedAdvanced courses are designed for students having reached 'first degree' level of assumed knowledge, which provide a deep understanding of contemporary issues; or 'second degree' and higher levels of knowledge; or for transition to research training programs. and SpecialistSpecialist courses are designed for students having reached 'first degree' level of assumed knowledge, which provide for the acquisition of specialist skills; or 'second degree' and higher level of knowledge; or for transition to research training programs; or knowledge associated with professional accreditation.
Areas of Interest	Law
Requisite Statement	LAWS8189 Fundamentals of Environmental Law (non-lawyers)
Prescribed Texts	Patricia Birnie, Alan Boyle and Catherine Redgwell, International Law of the Environment (3^rd ed, 2009)
Preliminary Reading	Ross Garnaut, The Garnaut Climate Change Review Final Report (2008), chapters 8 and 9 (available at www.garnautreview.org.au/index.htm)
Programs	Graduate Certificate in Environmental Law, Graduate Diploma in Environmental Law, Master of Environmental Law, Master of International Law, Master of Legal Studies, and Graduate Diploma in International Law
Academic Contact	Tim Stephens and Graduate Administration

The information published on the Study at ANU 2009 website applies to the 2009 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2008 website.