Introduction to Human Rights

Academic Program: 

• Master of Laws in Human Rights
• Master of Arts in Human Rights

Instructor: Sejal Parmar

Credits: 1.0

Course description: 

This course provides a broad and critical understanding of the field of human rights. It examines essential aspects of human rights including: their historical origins and philosophical foundations; the universalism versus cultural relativism debate; alternative approaches to classifying human rights; the international (or the UN) human rights system and regional frameworks for the protection of human rights; the effects of reservations to and derogations from human rights treaties; and rights of an absolute character and rights which, under certain conditions, may be limited.

Learning outcomes: 

1. Ability to think critically at a basic level;
2. Ability to demonstrate substantial knowledge of international human rights law at a basic level;
3. Ability to explain the main institutional and procedural features of international and regional institutions protecting human rights;
4. Ability to use legal reasoning at a basic level;
5. Ability to demonstrate knowledge about key human rights concepts, themes and debates in the field;
6. Ability to construct well-reasoned arguments about human rights issues at a basic level.