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Public International Law

Code: 101119
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Political Science and Public Management OP 3
Political Science and Public Management OP 4
International Relations FB 2

Contact lecturer

Name :
Jaume Munich Gasa
Email :
jaume.munich@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

No.

The subject will be taught taking into account the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Objectives

Objectives


- Understand that the international system is increasingly interdependent and that the freedom of the state to adopt international standards is limited by the joint will of other States

- Know that public international law remains the necessary instrument for regulating international relations

- Assume that the subjects are the international law makers & must comply with them.

- Understand that public international law has a high level of voluntary compliance weighs, at times, seems the opposite. The reason is that it is adopted by the common interest of States and is therefore enforced.

- Address that a very significant part of the internal rules of States have their origin or are related to public international law

Competences


  • Apprehending the necessary mechanisms in order to know, assess, and apply the legislative reforms as well as to follow the changes produced in a concrete subject.
  • Arguing and laying the foundation for the implementation of legal standards.
  • Defend and promote the basic values of coexistence in democracy.
  • Defending and promoting the essential values of the social and democratic State of Law.
  • Demonstrating a sensible and critical reasoning: analysis, synthesis, conclusions.
  • Identifying and solving problems.
  • Identifying, assessing and putting into practice changes in jurisprudence.
  • Identifying, knowing and applying the basic and general principles of the legal system.
  • Integrating the importance of Law as a regulatory system of social relations.
  • Mastering the computing techniques when it comes to obtaining legal information (legislation databases, jurisprudence, bibliography...) and in data communication.
  • Present information in a way that is appropriate to the type of audience.
  • Properly analysing the issues related to equality between men and women.
  • Searching, interpreting and applying legal standards, arguing every case.
  • Students must be capable of leading a group of people, by using the appropriate methods to guide individuals or groups towards the attainment of a goal.
  • Students must be capable of learning autonomously and having an entrepreneurial spirit.
  • Students must be effective in a changing environment and when facing new tasks, responsibilities or people.
  • Working in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary fields.
  • Working in teams, being either a member or a coordinator of working groups, as well as making decisions affecting the whole group.


Learning Outcomes


  1. Analysing the protection of human rights of men and woman in the international and European orders.
  2. Analysing the values of the international society, specially the ones aimed to promote a culture of peace, reflected in the international and European legislation.
  3. Apprehending the necessary mechanisms to assess and apply the legislative reforms at an international and European level and in particular in relation to the changes produced in the protection of the human rights.
  4. Arguing and laying the foundation for the implementation of the legal-international standards bearing in mind that there might be several possible reasonings.
  5. Assessing and putting into practice the changes in international and European jurisprudence in order to apply them to concrete legal problems.
  6. Defend and promote the basic values of coexistence in democracy.
  7. Demonstrating a sensible and critical reasoning: analysis, synthesis, conclusions.
  8. Distinguishing the most frequent databases of the international framework.
  9. Finding the applicable standards in international matters.
  10. Identifying and solving problems.
  11. Identifying, knowing and applying the principles and basic regulations of the international and European Union legal system, particularly the ones that refer to the protection of the human rights.
  12. Integrating the importance of the international law as a regulatory system of the international society, as well as the European Union and its impact in the domestic legal orders.
  13. Present information in a way that is appropriate to the type of audience.
  14. Solving interpretation and application problems of international laws.
  15. Students must be capable of leading a group of people, by using the appropriate methods to guide individuals or groups towards the attainment of a goal.
  16. Students must be capable of learning autonomously and having an entrepreneurial spirit.
  17. Students must be effective in a changing environment and when facing new tasks, responsibilities or people.
  18. Using computing networks from appropriate bibliographic sources for a concrete work.
  19. Working in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary fields.
  20. Working in teams, being either a member or a coordinator of working groups, as well as making decisions affecting the whole group.

Learning outcomes

  1. Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.
  2. Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  3. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  4. Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  5. Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  6. Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  7. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  8. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  9. Working autonomously.
  10. Describing the theoretical foundations and historical evolution of the European and North American constitutionalism.
  11. Explaining the concept of Constitution and basic constitutional principles and the State of Law and social and democratic state principles.
  12. Describing basic elements of the parliamentary monarchy in Spain.
  13. Critically analysing and assessing the legal elements of the relations between the political power and its citizens and generally, in the political processes.
  14. Defining the regulatory legal context of international relations, as well as the sources, norms and subjects of the International Public Law, and actions of the States and International Organizations.
  15. Assessing the international responsibility in several current examples.
  16. Explaining the concept and sources of the Administrative Law, as well as the laws and regulations.
  17. Describing and assessing the working of the administrative organization principles.
  18. Assessing the impact of the inter-administrative relationships.
  19. Defining the concepts of act, activity, procedure, resources and administrative guarantees.
  20. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  21. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  22. Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  23. Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  24. Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.
  25. Recognise the influence of different actors in the production and practice of international law and European and community law in the international system.
  26. Define the context of legal regulation for international relations and the sources, rules and subjects in international public law and the way in which they appear in the actions of states and international organisations.
  27. Evaluate international responsibility in different current situations.
  28. Analyse the legal bases for different actions and regulatory provisions of the EU and their different impacts on internal ordinance.
  29. Explain the explicit or implicit code of practice of one's own area of knowledge.
  30. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  31. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.
  32. Develop critical thought and reasoning and be able to communicate them effectively, both in your own language and second or third languages.
  33. Develop strategies for autonomous learning.
  34. Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  35. Make changes to the methods and processes of the area of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and wishes of society.
  36. Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
  37. Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.

Contents

Content


PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW PROGRAM



I. THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM


 


Lesson 1. International society and the public international law (PIL)


Origin and evolution. The institutionalization of the international system: The United Nations system. The principles of the United Nations . Concept of PIL. The PIL as a legal system of the current international society.


 


 


II. THE INTERNATIONAL SUBJECTIVITY


 


Lesson 2. The international subjectivity of the State


Concept and constituent elements of the State. The principle of sovereign equality. Immunities of the State. The principle of non-intervention. The succession of States. The recognition of States. The recognition of governments. Foreign representation of States.


 


Lesson 3. The international subjectivity of international organizations (IO) and the international status of other actors


The international legal personality of the IO. The competences of the IO. Historical situations. The peoples. NGOs. Transnational corporations. The individual. The humanity.


 


III. THE PROCESS FOR TRAINING RULES IN PIL


 


Lesson 4. The structure of the international legal system


Concept of source of law and lege ferenda norms. Consent and consensus of the States in the formation of norms. The hierarchy of international norms: the ius cogens.


 


Lesson 5. Treaties as a source of PIL


Concept of treaty. Modalities of treaties and functions. The celebration of treaties: special reference to the Spanish State. The reservations. The provisional application Deposit and registration of treaties.


 


Lesson 6. Other sources of PIL, auxiliary means and their interaction


The custom. The general principles of law. Equity. Jurisprudence and doctrine. Concept and modalitiesof unilateral acts of States. The normative acts of the IO: the internal normative function and the external normative function. Soft law. The interaction between formal sources and coadjuvant mechanisms for the creation of norms.



IV. ORDINARY APPLICATION OF THE PIL


 


Lesson 7. The relations of the PIL with the internal rights


The reception of the PIL and its hierarchy: special reference to the Spanish State. The interpretation. The application of the PIL: special reference to the Spanish State. Follow-up techniques and international control.


 


Lesson 8. Effects of international regulations and their possible alterations


The effects of the international norms, special reference to the erga omnes effects. Nullity, modification, termination and suspension of treaties.


 


V. EXTRAORDINARY APPLICATION OF THE PIL


 


Lesson 9. The peaceful resolution of international disputes


Concept and regulation of disputes. The diplomatic means of solution. The means of jurisdictional solution: the arbitration and the judicial solution (special reference to the ICJ). The resolution of disputes in the IO.


 


Lesson 10. International responsibility


Concept of international responsibility. The objective element and the subjective element. Excluding circumstances. Consequences of the internationally illicit fact: the repair. The obligation to repair by lawful acts. The international responsibility of the individual.


 


Lesson 11. Mechanisms for demanding compliance with the PIL


Diplomatic protection. Countermeasures. The institutionalized procedures: a) the social sanction and the disciplinary power b) The prohibition on the use of force and the power of coercion of Chapters VII and VIII of the Charter. The practice of the United Nationsand other international mechanisms.


 


VI.SPACE COMPETENCES AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION


 


Lesson 12. Space competences and spaces of collective interest


The terrestrial space. Air space. The law of the sea. Other spaces of collective interest. The protection of the environment.


 


Lesson 13. International economic architecture and development cooperation


International financial relations. International trade relations. Development cooperation.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Preparation practical cases 20 0.8
Master class 60 2.4
Practical cases 20 0.8
Study 50 2

Activities and Methodology

TitleHoursECTSLearning Outcomes
Type: Directed   
Case study resolution602,41, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Master classes200,81, 8, 9, 10, 13
    
Type: Autonomous   
Case studies preparation200,81, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
    
Study5021, 8

 

Statement:

Teaching, master classes and case studies, will be face-to-face. Attendance at case studies is compulsory.

 

 

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Practical case 1, Practical case 2, Practical case 3, Practical case 4, Practical case 5 10%, 10%, 10%, 10%, 10% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37

EVALUATION


Assessment model: the assessment is continuous and aims to enable the teaching staff to determine the degree of achievement of the skills.

The practical continuous assessment activities carried out throughout the course will account for 50% of the final grade. These activities will consist of five assessable practices, one of which may be replaced by a review.

Continuous content assessment exams: two exams related to the content of the subject program will be held, each worth 25% of the final grade. Each exam will consist of 2 questions and the total space available to answer will be 2 pages. To pass the subject, the average grade of the two exams must be equal to or greater than 4.

Final exam: it will consist of an exam of 4 questions. The total space available to answer will be 4 pages. Only those students who have not passed the continuous assessment with a grade equal to or greater than five will have to take it.

Re-evaluation. There is only a re-evaluation of the content exams and only those students who have obtained an average grade equal to or higher than 3 in the continuous assessment exams will be able to appear. The exam will also consist of 4 questions, and the total space available to answer will be 4 pages.

Single evaluation

Students who wish to do so can take advantage of the single evaluation system.


Important notes


1. Students who totally or partially copy practices, reviews, assignments, exams, etc., will be graded with a 0 (zero) final grade for the subject.

The mere possession of a mobile phone or any other electronic device during the exams will be presumed to be cheating.


2. Students who plagiarize practices, reviews, assignments, etc., will be graded with a 0 (zero) final grade for the subject.


3. For this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively in support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction or translations, or in other specific situations where it is considered. The student must clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology, specify the tools used and include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final result of the activity. The lack of transparency in the use of AI in this assessable activity will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a partial or total penalty in the grade of the activity, or greater sanctions in serious cases.


4.Any irregularity in an assessment act (academic fraud, plagiarism or improper use of AI, unless this use is expressly authorised in the teaching guide), which may lead to a significant variation in the grade, means that this act will be graded with a 0. In the event that the teaching guide provides that in order to pass the subject it is an essential requirement to have obtained a minimum grade in this assessment act or that several irregularities occur in the assessment acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject is 0. Apart from this, a disciplinary process may be initiated against the student who incurs any of these irregularities. The teaching staff reserves the right to carry out oral interviews or an alternative test, in order to verify the effective acquisition of knowledge and skills and therefore the validity of the assessment tests carried out by the students.

Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY

- CASANOVAS, O., RODRIGO, Á. J., Compendio de derecho internacional público, 13ª ed., Tecnos, 2025

- DIEZ DE VELASCO, M., Instituciones de derecho internacional público, 18ª ed., Tecnos, 2013

- JUSTE, J., et al., Lecciones de derecho internacional público, 4ª ed., Tirant lo Blanch, 2023

- PASTOR, J. A., Curso de derecho internacional público y organizaciones internacionales, 29ª ed., Tecnos, 2025

OTHER RECOMENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY

- ANDRES, P., Sistema de derecho internacional público, 7ª ed., Civitas, 2023.

- BADIA, A. M., HUICI, L. (dir.), SÁNCHEZ, A. (ed.), Las organizaciones internacionales en el siglo XXI, Marcial Pons, 2021.

- CARRILLO, J. A., Curso de derecho internacional público, 2ª ed., Tecnos, 1991

- CASADO, R., Derecho internacional, 4ª ed., Tecnos, 2020

- DÍEZ DE VELASCO, M., Las organizaciones internacionales, 16ª ed., Tecnos, 2010

- GONZÁLEZ, J. D., et al., Curso de derecho internacional público, 4ª ed., Thomson/Civitas, 2008

- GUTIERREZ, C., CERVELL, M. J., El derecho internacional en la encrucijada. Curso general de derecho internacional público, 4ª ed., Trotta, 2017

- MARIÑO, F. M., Derecho internacional público (Parte General), 4ª ed., Trotta, 2005

- ORTEGA, M., Derecho global. Derecho internacional público en la era global, Tecnos, 2014

- PIÑOL, J. Ll., et. al., Dret internacional públic, UOC, 2000

- REMIRO, A., et al., Derecho internacional. Curso general, Tirant lo Blanch, 2010

- RODRIGUEZ, A., Lecciones de derecho internacional público, 6ª ed., Tecnos, 2006

BASIC TEXTS

- ANDRES, P., Legislación básica de derecho internacional público, 25ª ed., Tecnos, 2025

- TORRES, N., Derecho internacional público. Instrumentos normativos, 2ª ed., Tirant lo Blanch, 2017

Software

The subjec does not require any specific software.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 51 Catalan first semester afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 51 Catalan first semester afternoon