Law of the Sea

A1N

The course Law of the Sea is an optional course for the completion of the Masters Degree in Law.

Students following a Swedish law programme leading up to a law degree must have completed 150 hec from semester 1-6, including everything from semester 1-4.

Visiting foreign students are admitted to the course, after approval of the Director of Studies.

The course focuses on the law of the sea. In order to provide comprehension for the function of the law of the sea it also covers more general aspects of public international law. It foremost covers the regulation of state rights, obligations, and freedoms as well as questions on institutional and state cooperation relating to different uses of the ocean and its resources.

The principal objective of this course is to present the principal legal sources for the law of the sea, with basis in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Discussions on the law of the sea will cover e.g. baselines, maritime zones, and maritime boundary delimitation and the balance between rights, obligations and freedoms of states across different sea areas.

Knowledge and understanding

Upon completion of the course the student will be able to

1. explain the development of the law of the sea.

2. explain the structure and creation of customary international law and treaty law in a law of the sea context.

3. demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of the law of the sea, including various aspects of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea such as baselines, maritime zones, and the balance between rights, obligations and freedoms of different states.

4. demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of dispute resolution within the course areas.

5. demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of maritime boundary delimitation.

6. demonstrate knowledge and comprehension for the role of different institutions in marine governance.

Competence and skills

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to

7. systematically, critically and independently identify, formulate and analyze questions of international law of the sea.

8. present and discuss his or her conclusions regarding legal questions within the course areas.

Judgement and approach

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to

9. adopt an independent and critical approach towards the legal system within the course areas.

10. understand the potential, possibilities and challenges of the law of the sea, in the management of the oceans and marine resources.

The teaching and learning activities (TLA:s) are a mix of lectures, seminars and assignments. The TLA:s are designed so that the student will acquire basic knowledge through introductory lectures and can further his or her knowledge and skills through discussion seminars and a research-based essay. The assignments also encourage students to improve their oral and presentation skills. TLA:s combine learning exercises with assessments so that the same assignment can be used for both purposes.

Language of instruction: English

Teaching might be conducted digitally during the course.

Portfolio/porfölj, 15 hp (0010)

The assessment is done through a portfolio examination that includes a series of assignments and a self-reflection. This means that a student who wants to become a graduate of the course needs to complete and submit a portfolio containing the student's assignments and a self-reflection. The portfolio content is used to assess whether the student has demonstrated that s/he has reached the learning outcomes. It is expected that the students perform on all assignments to give themselves the broadest and deepest content to use in the portfolio. With more content it is easier for the student to demonstrate that s/he has reached the learning outcomes.

The series of assignments consists of:

- Three assessed seminars. Students must be able to make individual oral presentations through group work to show evidence of sound knowledge and understanding of the specifically allocated task in the assessed seminars. To fulfill the assignment the student must submit a reflection of the student's performance in each seminar.

- An open book written examination. The examination is in principle around objective knowledge-based questions, essay-type questions and problem-solving exercises.

- An essay. This component will consist of an essay written on a topic chosen in consultation with the course examiner, and should be of the quality and length described by the examiner.

- The essay is linked to an oral defence in which the student will be academically challenged by a fellow student (referred to as opponent), other members of the class and the examiner(s). Furthermore, to complete this assignment each student will be required to act as an opponent for another fellow student.

Each academic year, students are offered two opportunities to submit their portfolio.

Students who do not submit the portfolio at the first opportunity may submit it on a second occasion. Students who fail the course at the first time of submission have the opportunity to complement their portfolio and submit the portfolio two more times during the same academic year.

If a student who has been failed twice for the same examination element wishes to change examiner before the next examination session, such a request is to be granted unless there are specific reasons to the contrary (Chapter 6 Section 22 HF).

If a student has received a certificate of disability study support from the University of Gothenburg with a recommendation of adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment, an examiner may decide, if this is consistent with the course’s intended learning outcomes and provided that no unreasonable resources would be needed, to grant the student adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment.

If a course has been discontinued or undergone major changes, the student must be offered at least two examination sessions in addition to ordinary examination sessions. These sessions are to be spread over a period of at least one year but no more than two years after the course has been discontinued/changed.

If a student has been notified that they fulfil the requirements for being a student at Riksidrottsuniversitetet (RIU student), to combine elite sports activities with studies, the examiner is entitled to decide on adaptation of examinations if this is done in accordance with the Local rules regarding RIU students at the University of Gothenburg.

The grading scale comprises: Passed with Distinction (AB), Passed with Credit (BA), Pass (B) and Fail (U).

The Department of Law is obliged to evaluate the courses given. This is done by an appraisal in accordance with general instructions within the department. Each and every course appraisal is scrutinized by the board of education within the department. A student assisting in the collection of an appraisal will get remuneration according to standard tariff.

The results of and possible changes to the course will be shared with students who participated in the evaluation and students who are starting the course.