Concept:

How can States settle their disputes? How have the mechanisms of dispute settlement on the international level developed historically? When can States bring other States before international courts and tribunals – and when may these bodies hear cases? How do proceedings in international fora look like? What are the effects of decisions rendered by international courts and tribunals? Do States follow them, can they be enforced, and can they have an impact even if they are not complied with?

These are some of the questions that the course will tackle. It will do so with a focus on the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is currently busier than ever with many high-stakes cases in its docket. Accordingly, we will discuss the above issues based on landmark cases as well as recent and current proceedings, such as the case brought by South Africa against Israel over alleged breaches of the Genocide Convention, by Nicaragua against Germany over support to alleged violations of international law by Israel, the Allegations of Genocide case brought by Ukraine against Russia, as well as the ICJ’s advisory opinion on the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the ongoing advisory proceedings on Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change. Beyond the ICJ, other international courts and tribunals will also be considered, including the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the World Trade Organisation’s Dispute Settlement Body, and inter-State as well as mixed arbitration.

Participants:

The course is open to all law students. It is coordinated with the specialisation “Internationalisierung der Rechtsordnung” (SB 7) and its curriculum. Students taking this specialisation are thus particularly encouraged to participate. Interested students from other specialisations may also attend. Exchange students are equally welcome. Basic knowledge of public international law is helpful but not mandatory. Language quali?cation points (Fremdsprachenkompetenz A / B) can be acquired through this course.

Dates:

3 May 2025 09:30-18:00

14 June 2025 09:30-18:00

12 July 2025 09:30-18:00

Examination:

All participants will prepare a short presentation. The topics will be assigned before the ?rst meeting, on a ?rst-come-?rst-served-basis through an online survey. Students wishing to acquire language quali?cation points (Fremdsprachenkompetenz A / B) are required to submit a short outline of their presentation.

Course convenors:

Dr Robert Stendel (stendel@mpil.de) and Dr Alexander Wentker (wentker@mpil.de), senior research fellows at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg.

Interested students are warmly encouraged to approach the convenors ahead of the seminar with any questions they may have.

Schließen