The course considers some of the most pressing global issues of our time through an overview of the history, theory, and practice of international human rights law, as well as the related fields of international humanitarian and criminal law. It identifies decades-long tensions about the legitimacy and meaning of human rights, with a focus on how those tensions are manifested in the national, regional (Latin American, European, and African), and international case law. Much of the course is organized around in-depth and comparative study of the adjudication of human rights claims about matters including racial, gender, and sexual equality; rights to property, housing, and health; rights of indigenous peoples; religion and culture; and humanitarian law. Students will be exposed to a broad spectrum of approaches to human rights—from conservative, libertarian, and liberal to critical race, feminist, Third World, and abolitionist. As a part of the course, students will work in teams to select, edit, analyze, and present a legal case on human rights to the rest of the class.
The early exam will be in the floating format with dates to be determined (it will start on/after November 15 and end before December 10).
This course is also open to non-law graduate and professional students with relevant background. The course contains the requisite coverage of Latin American materials for students pursuing MAs in Latin American Studies.
Engle, Karen