EVSn5011 Judicialization of International Politics

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Ľubomír Majerčík, LL.M. (lecturer)
JUDr. Mgr. Ivo Pospíšil, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
JUDr. Mgr. Ivo Pospíšil, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! EVSn5041 Judicialization of IP && (! MVZ429 Judicialization of IP ) && (! EVS441 Judicialization of IP ) && !NOWANY( EVSn5041 Judicialization of IP , MVZ429 Judicialization of IP , EVS441 Judicialization of IP )
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 6 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to address students with activities of judicial and quasi-judicial institutions on the international level and their role in international politics. The substance of the course is presented through dynamic of relationship of judicial world and the world of politics. The aim of the course is not only to present the system of judicial institutions or introduction of their fundamental case-law but to focus on examples in which it is possible to demonstrate tight or opposite symbolic relation between justice and international politics. The presentation and interpretation of the case will deal with the international political background and will lead to clarify the questions: “What motivated participants to choose a judicial settlement?”, “Why the output /decision has special result form?”.” Which factors influenced this form?”, “What was and is the acceptance of the decision by the political actors?” etc. The student will obtain after the completing the course the orientation in case-law of the international justice authorities and capability of critical analyses of these decisions.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course the student will be able to:
- understand the notion judicialization of politics;
- know the attitudes of theories of International Relations towards international law a and judicial bodies;
- be oriented in the system of international judicial bodies, their competences and fundamental case-law;
- interpret selected case-law and its broader meaning in international politics;
- formulate own critical appraisal of the case-law.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction, organization of the course 2. Mutual relations between the theories of international relations and international law and judicial settlement of disputes 3. Concepts of Judicialization of Politics, the state of justices, juristocracy and their applicability in international relations. 4. System of judicial mechanisms in contemporary international relations: ICJ, ICTY/ICTR, ECHR and others regional human rights courts, ECJ. 5. ICJ case-law and international relations I (ICJ a ius cogens – Barcelona Traction, Light and Power Company, Judgment, ICJ Reports 1970. ICJ and the Middle East conflict: Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, 2003) 6. ICJ case-law and international relations II: ICJ and relations between USA and Iran (United States Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Tehran, United States of America v. Iran, 1979), ICJ and US policy towards South America (Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua, Nicaragua v. United States of America, 1984) 7. Case-law of ICTY and ICTR Tadic (IT-94-1), Srebrenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro) 8. Case-law of ICC. 9. Punishing War Crimes before Domestic Courts 10. ECHR case-law I: Secessionism and human rights (Division of Cyprus: Loizidou v. Turkey; Prednestrovia: Ilascu and others v. Moldova and Russia), Conflict in Northern Ireland: (Ireland v. United Kingdom), USA and the death penalty (Soering v. U.K). 11. ECHR case-law II: ECHR and international position of Russian federation (War in Chechnya: Imakajevová v. Russia, Lulujev and others v. Russia, Bazorkinova v. Russia; Russian-Georgian conflict in 2008) 12. Special role of justice in European integration: ECJ Case-law 13. National courts and international\foreign policy (Pinochet case, Czech Constitutional Court and application of international obligations)
Literature
  • International court authority. Edited by Karen J. Alter - Laurence R. Helfer - Mikael Rask Madsen. First edition. Oxford: Oxford university press, 2018, xix, 464. ISBN 9780198795582. info
  • The judicialization of international law : a mixed blessing? Edited by Andreas Føllesdal - Geir Ulfstein. First edition. Oxford: Oxford university press, 2018, xiii, 266. ISBN 9780198816423. info
  • ALTER, Karen J. The new terrain of international law : courts, politics, rights. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2014, xxvi, 450. ISBN 9780691154756. info
Teaching methods
The course is divided into two educational schemes - into lectures and seminars. While the lectures are aimed at theoretical aspects of the subject (the concept of judicialization, or the attitudes between the theories of intl. relations and international law), the seminars (the students are expected to prepare for them several written position papers) demand active and more practical knowledge of the issues (e. g. the ability to find, interpret and understand the case-law of selected judicial bodies). The students ability to bring and defend their own arguments is practiced within the teachers directed and moderated class discussion.
Assessment methods
The course is finished by written exam. Students have to prepare 4 position papers on cases and selected academic literature in the course of the semester.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: every week.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Nezapisují si studenti, kteří předmět již absolvovali pod kódem MVZ429.
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