The sessions in the FIRST PART of the course (Blocks I and II) will alternate between theoretical lectures (3) and practical seminars (3).

The practical seminar sessions will be structured around the analysis of a case study, which students will prepare in advance by following a reading guide that will subsequently form the basis of in-class discussion and debate. For this reason, class attendance is an essential requirement for continuous assessment. The course workload includes not only the hours spent in class but also the time devoted to the reading of compulsory materials, preparation of seminar sessions, and study of course content.

The sessions in the SECOND PART of the course (Blocks III and V) will be organised around three plenary sessions and three seminars, alternating between the two formats. The plenary sessions will focus on the discussion of selected readings and theoretical explanations designed to contextualise the existing international legal framework for the protection of human rights. This framework will subsequently be examined from a more applied perspective during the seminar sessions. Accordingly, the seminars will consist primarily of practical classroom-based work aimed at enabling students to identify, locate, and become familiar with the international mechanisms for the monitoring and protection of human rights that universal and regional systems make available to victims and legal practitioners.

Note: Fifteen minutes of a class session, in accordance with the timetable established by the Faculty and/or degree programme, will be reserved for students to complete institutional surveys evaluating both the teaching performance of the instructor and the course/module itself.

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.

Continuous Assessment

The continuous assessment grade will be calculated as follows:

50% Blocks I and II + 50% Blocks III and V = 100% of the final grade.

In order for the grades from the different blocks to be averaged, a minimum mark of 4/10 must be obtained in each component.

The assessment of Blocks I and II will consist of:

• A written in-person examination (45%); and
• Active participation in class (5%).

The assessment of Blocks III and V will consist of:

• Three practical assignments (45%); and
• Participation in plenary sessions (5%).

Active student participation is an essential requirement for the successful delivery of the course and constitutes a highly relevant component of the assessment process. Students are therefore expected to attend face-to-face sessions regularly and punctually, complete the required readings for each session, contribute to class discussions, prepare the activities assigned for each topic, and submit and present coursework by the established deadlines.

Single Assessment

The final grade under the single-assessment system will be calculated as follows:

• 25% Essay questions covering Blocks I and II;
• 25% Case-law analysis covering Blocks III and V; and
• 50% Comprehensive content examination (multiple-choice test and 10 short-answer questions).

The same reassessment procedure applicable to the continuous assessment system will apply.

Reassessment

Students who do not pass the course (i.e., those who obtain a mark below 4/10 in either of the two main components or whose overall average grade is below the minimum passing mark of 5/10) must retake and pass the failed component through a reassessment examination scheduled on the official reassessment date.

Non-Assessable Status

Students will be considered assessable provided that they have completed assessment activities whose combined weighting represents at least two-thirds (2/3) of the total course grade. If the weighting of the completed activities does not reach this threshold, the course instructor may classify the student as “non-assessable” (Not Assessed).

Use of Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity

In the event that a student copies, commits plagiarism, or is found using any prohibited device during an assessment activity, the instructor will assign a grade of 0 (zero) for that assessment and will report the incident to the Dean’s Office of the Faculty. A report detailing the circumstances and evidence of the misconduct will be submitted in order to request the initiation of any appropriate disciplinary proceedings against the student.

The affected assessment activity will not be eligible for reassessment. Furthermore, if more than one irregularity is detected in assessment activities within the same course, the student’s final grade for the course will be 0 (zero).