LAW3256 : Global Security Law
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
- Module Leader(s): Dr Elliot Winter
- Owning School: Newcastle Law School
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Pre-requisite
Modules you must have done previously to study this module
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| LAW3017 | Public International Law |
Pre Requisite Comment
‘Global Security Law’ (GSL) is comprises a mixture of contemporary challenges facing international law such as environmental, cyber, space, energy, food, water and financial threats. From a regulatory perspective, GSL is a collection of threads that flow from Public International Law (PIL) more widely. For students to be able to engage with the specifics of GSL, they must already have a solid grounding in PIL. LAW3017 (PIL) offers that grounding as it covers foundational concepts such as the nature, sources, subjects and institutions of Public International Law as well as matters such as treaty interpretation and courts/dispute settlement.
Co-Requisite
Modules you need to take at the same time
Co Requisite Comment
N/A
Aims
* To provide students with a thorough knowledge and understanding of the international regimes applicable to key contemporary security issues;
* To provide students with an awareness of the historical and political factors against which the regimes have developed and the various actors involved;
* To enable students to critically assess the various responses taken by the international community to security issues;
* To enable students to identify future security issues;
* To provide an exposition of how violations of the law are identified and enforced; and to consider the limitations inherent in this context;
* To develop students’ capacity for critical analysis and problem solving;
* To develop students’ research skills through the preparation of coursework and class presentations;
* To encourage student-driven learning.
Outline Of Syllabus
* The United Nations institutions with responsibility for peace and security;
* The role and evolution of United Nations peacekeeping operations;
* The international legal response to threats to peace and security;
* The approaches to disarmament, for example, in the context of nuclear and biological weapons;
* The rules on maritime security, especially piracy;
* The response to cyber security threats such as cyber warfare, espionage and hacking;
* The regulation of private military contractors;
* The issue of disaster response and humanitarian assistance.
* Other contemporary challenges such as environmental, energy, food, water and financial security.
Note that this list is indicative, the module content is intended to be flexible enough to align with ‘live’ security issues that appear, for example, in the media. The specific topics covered will therefore change each year.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 60 | 1:00 | 60:00 | Assessment preparation and completion. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | In-person. Scheduled as needed throughout the module. Regarding assessment/essay writing skills. |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 107 | 1:00 | 107:00 | Directed research and reading/independent study. |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | Non-synchronous/online background materials (refresher materials for international law, introduction to the module and assessment feedforward and feedback. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | In-person. Timetabled. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | In-person. Scheduled as needed throughout the module. Regarding substantive module content. |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The workshop-based model provides an ideal opportunity for a dynamic and thorough discussion of the matters under consideration, allowing for the examination of detailed issues and the contribution of all students in the group. Students will be asked to engage in exercises such as role plays (e.g. mini-moots) to develop their practical legal skills as well as their knowledge and analysis.
Students are required to undertake in-depth preparation, including by undertaking independent research, and to develop and present legal arguments to the group by reference to academic commentary, the law and the jurisprudence. This allows students to develop research and analytical skills, to develop substantial legal arguments, and to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the complexities and impact derived from the interaction between different legal orders on the status of individuals.
The drop-in sessions are strategically positioned to assist students to enhance both their understanding of the substantive content and to develop the essay writing and argumentation skills necessary for assessment.
The asynchronous content is positioned mainly at the beginning of the module to enable students to refresh their understanding of public international law in general before proceeding to this module (which is a branch of public international law). Public International Law (LAW3017) is a pre-requisite.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Examination | 135 | 2 | A | 100 | Digital Examination (Answer 3 questions from a choice of 6) |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 2 | M | Answer 1 question |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The formative examination provides students with an opportunity to write a response on the subject and to get feedback on this. This ensures that they are familiar with the expectations well-ahead of the summative examination.
The summative examination provides an important incentive for students to establish substantial knowledge in the subject. The examination tests the demonstration of knowledge and understanding by applying the skills that need to be developed over the whole module. The examination provides a means for testing students' ability to analyse, synthesise, deploy critical judgement and evaluate alternative arguments. It also allows candidates to demonstrate intended learning outcomes across a broad range of topics within the syllabus. The limited duration of the examination gives students an opportunity to demonstrate their prioritisation capabilities. The digital format of the examination under invigilated conditions ensures authentic authorship.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- LAW3256's Timetable