Course Name Year Term Period Faculty / Graduate School All Instructors Credits
12930:[2025 Spring]IR18‐EE211 International Law (RA) § 12931:IR-EAS201 International Law (RA) § 12932:RUIR-2512 International Law(RA) 2025 Spring Wed2 College　Of　International　Relations OCHI MEGUMI 2

Campus

KIC

Class Venue

KOSHINKAN　KS305

Language

English

Course Outline and Method

【+R-Jugyo】
Information for “+R-Jugyo” will be posted on the “Course News” on manaba+R by April 1. Be sure to check the “Course News” on manaba+R.

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This course is designed to familiarize students with the rules and processes through which international law governs relations between states and regulates the affairs of corporate bodies and individuals on the international plane. Much of the focus of the course is on systemic issues: the principal sources of international law and the main institutions in which international law is developed and in which international disputes are resolved. Special attention will be given to issues such as personality, jurisdiction and responsibility; the main rules on the use of force; the rights of the individual under international law; and the relationship between power and the use and abuse of international law. The teaching of the course will take the form of formal lecturing and class discussions. This course will use both/either formative and/or summative evaluation.

Student Attainment Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of the scope, key concepts and fundamental principles of international law;
2. understand how states interact and cooperate with each other;
3. find legal principles and doctrines by researching relevant treaties, jurisprudence, commentaries and secondary literature;
4. understand the relationship between international law and international reality

Recommended Preparatory Course

Introduction to law

Course Schedule

Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors) Theme
Keyword, References and Supplementary Information
+R Jugyo

Introduction to the subject

Watching videos to get the ideas about the subject of this course

1

The ‘Great Debates’: Why do states create and comply with international law?

- Compliance theories
- International legal documents: Collect and review existing international legal documents

2, 3, 4

Theories of international law

- Traditional approaches (Natural law, Legal Positivism, Legal Realism, Transnational Legal Process and New Haven School)
- Critical Approaches (Critical theories, Third World Approach to International Law (TWAIL), Feminist approaches)
- Post-Cold War approaches and iInterdisciplinary approaches (Global Administrative Law, Constitutionalism, Global Legal Pluralism, Rationalism and behavioralist approaches, sociological perspectives, the practice of interpretation)

5

Theories of international law: wrap up

In class discussion and test

6 [ondemand]

Overview of international law

Video and comment

7, 8, 9

General rules

- Sources of international law (Sources of international law other than treaties, customary law and general principles of law , rules on treaty making, interpreting, amending and ending)
- Peaceful dispute settlement (negotiatoon, arbitration, ICJ)
- Responsibility (State responsibility, responsibility of international organizations, individual responsibility, corporate liability, due diligence)

10, 11, 12

Selected areas of international law

- Subject, authorities and jurisdiction (Statehood (requirements and recognition), international organizations, State jurisdiction, criminal jurisdiction, territory (land, sea and air), the international courts)
- Environmental and economic law (Outer space law, principles of enviromental protection and economic law, Shrimp-turtle case)
- Human rights law and humanitarian law (Prohibition of genocide and torture, human rights mechanisms, international humanitarian law)
- International criminal procedure (The International Criminal Court (ICC), core crimes, international cooperation)

13

Special lecture

ICJ and never-ending war reparation

14

General rules and selected areas of international law: wrap up

- How to answer legal questions
- In class discussion and test

Class Format

In person
* Subject to occasional change to ondemand format
* Change will be communicated via manaba+R.

Recommendations for Private Study

Reading assigments will be notified.

Grade Evaluation Method

Kind Percentage Grading Criteria etc.
Final Examination (Written)

Report Examination
(A report to be submitted by the unified deadline)

Exams and/or Reports other than those stated above, and Continuous Assessment　
(Evaluation of Everyday Performance in Class)		 100

In-class tests: 50%
Discussion and comments: 50%

Grade Evaluation Method （Note）

Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods

Textbooks

Title Author Publisher ISBN Code Comment
International legal theory : foundations and frontiers Jeffrey L. Dunoff, Mark A. Pollack Cambridge University Press, 2022 9781108551878 https://research.ebsco.com/c/v4ezyz/search/details/7us6fvxk7z?limiters=None&q=international%20legal%20theory
International Law, 4th ed. Jan Klabbers Cambridge University Press, 2023 9781009304290 https://research.ebsco.com/c/v4ezyz/search/details/7mudavhzvf?q=international%20law

Textbooks （Frequency of Use, Note）

Both books are available as eBook via Ritsumeikan Library system.

Reference Books

Title Author Publisher ISBN Code Comment
An introduction to contemporary international law : a policy-oriented perspective Lung-chu Chen Oxford University Press, 2015
International Law, fourth edition Anders Henriksen Oxford University Press 9780198869399
PREMISES OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL PROCEDURE: IDENTIFYING THE PRINCIPLES IN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION Megumi Ochi Springer, 2024 978-981-9767-86-1

Reference Books （Frequency of Use, Note）

Web Pages for Reference

How to Communicate with the Instructor In and Out of Class(Including Instructor Contact Information)

Learning Management System （manaba+R）,Talk with Students

Other Comments

 A Teaching Fellow (TF) will assist provision of quizze and communication papers.
(TF: ZIDOUEMBA Moussa Theodore, PhD Candidate 2nd year of Graduate School of International Relations)

Prof. Ochi mtr19136@fc.ritsumei.ac.jp
【科目ナンバリング・カリキュラムマップはこちらから/Click here to see the Curriculum-Map and Course-Numbering】
URL:https://secure.ritsumei.ac.jp/students/pathways-future/course/curriculum.html/