Course content - Learning outcome - Admission - Prerequisites - Overlapping courses - Teaching - Examination - Evaluation - Other

Course content

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) establishes protection for civilians, other non-combatants as well as combatants, and limits methods and means of warfare in armed conflict. The rules seek to balance fundamental principles of humanity against military necessity. The principle of proportionality, the principle of distinction between military objectives and civilian objects, as well as the prohibition against means of combat that lead to unnecessary suffering and superfluous injury, form the basis for this body of law.

The legal bases for IHL are rules of international customary law as well as treaty law, in particular the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 with their additional protocols of 1977, and the Hague Regulations of 1907. In addition there are several specific treaties pertaining to e.g. use of certain weapons and other means of warfare.

International Humanitarian Law is a part of the wider topic Public International Law. It touches upon the rules on the legality of warfare (jus ad bellum), but the main focus is on the rules that apply when an armed conflict is going on (jus in bello), irrespective of the nature of the conflict. International Humanitarian Law has certain contact points with inter alia two other topics under Public International Law; International Criminal Law and International Human Rights law.

Learning outcome

See ‘Detailed course information’ regarding requirements and syllabus.

Admission

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You may register for this course if you have admission to a Master’s programme at UiO or the faculty's exchange programme. You can also register for this course if you do not have admission to any programme at UiO, but meet the formal prerequistites.

All students are required meet the formal prerequistites.

Have you met the formal prerequisites at another institution than the University of Oslo, and the results are not formally registered at UiO, you must apply for admission to courses at Master’s level . Students with admission to Master’s degree programmes at other faculties than The Faculty of Law must also apply for admission.

When your admission is in order you must register for courses in StudentWeb

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Prerequisites

Formal prerequisite knowledge

Students must fill one of these requirements:

• Passed 1st - 3rd year of studies in Master's of Law (masterstudiet i rettsvitenskap at UiO) or examinations that qualify for exemption from these) or
• Having a 5-years Master’s degree in Laws (masterstudiet i rettsvitenskap at UiO) or equivalent.

Students with admission to the faculty’s exchange programme and students with admission to any master’s degree programme at the University of Oslo (except masterstudiet i rettsvitenskap) has an exemption from the formal prerequisites.

Recommended previous knowledge

Three years of law studies.

Overlapping courses

10 credits overlap with JUR1730 - International Humanitarian Law (The Law of Armed Conflict), 10 credits overlap with VALKRIG - Krigens folkerett/internasjonal humanitærrett (discontinued), 10 credits overlap with JUXKRIG - Krigens folkerett / internasjonal humanitærrett (discontinued) and 10 credits overlap with JUR5730 - International Humanitarian Law (The Law of Armed Conflict) (discontinued).

Teaching

Lectures.

Language of teaching for this course is English. This means that all
communication during lectures/seminars will be in English, and all
literature and auxiliary materials are in English.

Access to teaching

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Examination

4 hour written examination.

Examination support material

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Regulations for support materials permitted at examination for courses taught in English . Please read all three chapters.

Previous exam papers

Language of examination

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The language of examination for this course is English. This means
that the examination question will be given in English, and students
may answer in English only.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Explanations and appeals

You may request an explanation of your grades, and you may also appeal against your grades or make a complaint about formal examination errors. Read more about explanations and appeals.

Resit an examination

You can usually resit an exam, but the conditions depend on whether you had a valid reason for absence from the regular exam. Read more about resitting an exam.

Withdrawal from an examination

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A student can sit for this exam up to 3 times. If a student wishes to withdraw from the exam, s/he must do this in StudentWeb at least two weeks prior to the first day of the exam. Failure to do so will be counted as one of the three opportunities to sit for the exam.
A study programme may have rules that further limit the number of times a student may re-take this exam. In such instances the rules of the study programme will have priority.

Special examination arrangements

If you have a disability or a health problem that entails significant inconvenience in an examination situation, you may be considered for special examination arrangements. Mothers who are breastfeeding may apply for extra time to complete the exam.

Please se Detailed regulations for the Faculty of Law, Chapter 3 regarding application, responsibilities and special measures.

Evaluation

Feedback from our students is essential to us in our efforts to ensure and further improve the high quality of our programmes and courses. All courses are subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students on a particular course to participate in a more comprehensive, periodic evaluation of this course.

Other

The language for this course is English. Students enrolled in the
Masterprogrammet i rettsvitenskap must pass one
English subject as part of their degree, this course will meet these
obligations.

This subject is taught at Master 's level. The subject is also taught at Bachelor's level (15 ECTS credits), see JUR1730 - International Humanitarian Law (The Law of Armed Conflict). Please see the chapter above, regarding overlap. For instances of overlap, credits will be deducted on the subject at Bachelors's level.