International Responsibility and Litigation


  • A basic grounding in and knowledge of public international law.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:


1. Be familiar with the codification of the law of international responsibility, the context in which it has developed, and its status today.



2. Understand and be able to apply the elements necessary to establish the responsibility of a State or an international organization before an international court or tribunal to the facts of a given situation.



3. Understand features of dispute settlement mechanisms available to resolve disputes involving international responsibility.



4. Determine the most suitable dispute settlement mechanism for a given dispute in light of, inter alia, the relevant jurisdictional and admissibility constraints.



5. Be able to understand and analyze decisions of international courts and tribunals in light of the relevant legal framework.

This course concerns the international responsibility of States and international organizations and the relevant dispute settlement mechanisms. Students will examine the ways in which international responsibility is engaged, its content and the means available to implement it.