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Introduction to International Criminal Law

-- About the Course -- From the Nuremberg trial to the case against Saddam Hussein, from the prosecution of Al-Qaeda terrorists to the trial of Somali pirates – no area of law is as important to world peace and security as international criminal law. Taught by one of the world’s leading experts in the field, this course will educate students about the fundamentals of international criminal law and policy. We will explore the contours of international crimes such as genocide, war crimes, terrorism, and piracy. We will examine unique modes of international criminal liability and specialized defenses. And we will delve into the challenges of obtaining custody of the accused and maintaining control of the courtroom. -- Course Syllabus -- This course comprises eight units (or "modules"). Each will include an assigned reading, typically an article or book chapter, as well as a simulation designed to bring the readings to life. I will also offer video lectures on each of the topics, accompanied by slides. In addition, there will be online role-play exercises and debates, enabling the students to share their own insights. The order of class sessions will be: (1) History: From Nuremberg to The Hague (2) International Crimes Part 1: War Crimes, Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, and Torture (3) International Crimes Part 2: Terrorism and Piracy (4) Special modes of liability: command responsibility, co-perpetration, and incitement (5) Special defenses: insanity, obedience to orders, duress, and head of state immunity (6) Gaining custody of the accused: extradition, luring, abduction, and targeted killing (7) Pre-Trial Issues: plea bargaining, self-representation, and exclusion of torture evidence (8) Maintaining control of the courtroom -- Recommended Background -- You don’t have to be a lawyer and there are no prerequisites for this course. However, the course will be conducted at the level expected of advanced undergraduate students. Therefore, for all participants, reading and writing comfortably in English at the undergraduate college level is desirable. -- Suggested Readings -- Students should read the assigned online materials for each unit in advance of the class session. In addition, students are invited to subscribe to “War Crimes Prosecution Watch,” a free bi-weekly e-newsletter that summarizes the latest developments in the field of international criminal law. -- Course Format -- This course is made up of eight content units. Each unit is based on an online reading assignment, a video lecture of about one hour in length, and one or more role play exercises to stimulate on-line discussion. The course also offers in-video enrichment quizzes (ungraded) for each unit, a ten question multiple choice midterm diagnostics exam (ungraded), and a ten question True/False Final Exam. -- FAQ-- How will this course be graded? This course is graded on completion. In order to complete the course each student must: (1) finish each module (or “lesson”); (2) write at least one essay response of 200 words or more for at least one simulation throughout the course; and (3) get a score of 6 out of 10 or better on the Final Exam. What resources will I need for this course? For this course, all you need is an Internet connection, and the time to read and discuss the exciting materials available online. What is the coolest thing about this course? The topics we will be discussing are ripped from the headlines. The topics are often controversial and thought-provoking, and always exciting.

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Rating 4.7 based on 293 ratings
Length 9 weeks
Effort 7-8 hours of lectures and assessments
Starts Jul 3 (43 weeks ago)
Cost $49
From Case Western Reserve University via Coursera
Instructor Michael Scharf
Download Videos On all desktop and mobile devices
Language English
Subjects Social Sciences
Tags Social Sciences Law

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What people are saying

international criminal law

A very informative course, not overly taxing, a good first step and solid foundation for anyone interested in International Criminal Law.

excelente Класс This course was very good and it really helped me alot to understand what going around with international criminal law excelente curso!

I have found this course very useful to understand the basic issues of the International Criminal Law.

I highly recommend it to anyone interested in International Criminal Law and/or international politics.

Very good idea to include the introduction to international criminal law notes, especially for those who are not familiar with the subject at all.

I learned a lot about the fundamentals of International Criminal Law.

AMAZING LEARNING it was very helpfull to understand about International Criminal Law Gives a very good introduction to International Criminal law, easy to understand and is a great source for research work.

Overall I'm happy with the understanding of International Criminal Law that I have gained, though I am displeased with the biases I found in the professor.

The prof was extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and presented modern, relevant examples to illustrate different aspects of international criminal law.

A simple and short course about learning what constitute international criminal law.

Very informative and comprehension modules and video teachings to enhance my interests in International Criminal Law.

Videos and readings were very clear, I appreciated the fact that our professor was very knowledgable on the subject of international criminal law.

I would take another course from this great legal educator any time and I recommend this course without reservations.JAMES WILLIAM GILLIAM1L University of London - International Programmes Excelente A great initiative to promote international criminal law in the world.

The lectures and readings dovetail perfectly and take you through a very organized introduction to international criminal law.

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excelente curso

Excelente curso y profesor.

¡Excelente curso!

Excelente curso, muy interesante y muy bien planeado.

awesome brainstorming Very informative Excelente curso, lo recomiendo.

es un curso muy interactivo y con una malla curricular extensa pero digerible, donde el apoyo visual y de las lecturas es en mi opinión saludable en caso de incrementar conocimientos básicos y retoalimentarse de experiencias excelente Excelente curso, los casos, ejemplos y leyes internacionales son muy buenas y actualizadas.

Excelente Curso!

Excelente curso!

I liked it a lot is very interesting and you learn too much Exelente great course Excelente curso, sería genial que los documentos adjuntos estuviesen en Español, o en su defecto en el idioma oriundo del participante, muchas gracias, por tan excelente curso.

Excelente curso This course is rich and insightful.

EXCELENTE CURSO Informative and interesting!

ز Excelente curso nos despeja muchas dudas de cómo se maneja el derecho internacional i really learnt those things which was away from me and also enjoyed a lot this course.

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michael scharf

Not only because to its material/topic, but mostly because of the way Professor Michael Scharf communicated with me as a student.I feel very lucky to get this course and definitely I recommend it to all.

Michael Scharf is an excellent professor, I greatly enjoyed the course, which was extremely imteresting and motivating.

Very interesting and I enjoyed the manner in which Michael Scharf taught.

absolutely outstanding MOOC; makes great use of all the possibilities of this educational media platform... relentlessly driven by a plethora of highly relevant ICC and other International Tribunal cases and Michael Scharf's undying enthusiasm for all matters criminal... For those laypersons seeking to gain understanding of the emerging International The movie clips at the beginning made me wonder if the course was going to be worth it, but once you get past that, it gets very interesting MUY INTERESANTE, SALUDOS AL PROFESOR Y AGRADECIMIENTOS POR COMPARTIR CON NOSOTROS MUY BIEN EXPLICADO.

Great course, interesting topics easy and informative Michael Scharf is awesome!!!

Michael Scharf is a great teacher and makes difficult topics easy to understand and the questions during the videos help you focus and show you which bits you should re-watch.Would definitely recommend this.

Thank you to Michael Scharf for putting together such a formidable introduction to international criminal law.

PROFESSOR MICHAEL SCHARF HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT WORK.

DR. MICHAEL SCHARF EXCELENTE MAESTRO EN DERECHO INTERNACIONAL, ESPERO ALGÚN DÍA PODER PREGUNTARLE DE FRENTE TODAS MIS DUDAS DEL CURSO Great, interesting, engaging and fascinating course GREAT!

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so much

I am very so much, I am happy this course.

Thank you so much for this wonderful course.

His lectures were always so well organized, and easy to understand.His excellent teaching skills helped me a lot.I learned so much from professor Michael and I look forward to learning more.

it is a lot to take in, but i found that the videos made the subjects covered so much clearer in my head.Great course overall.

You will surely obtain so much value from this course but also highly appreciate and be thankful for all that you learn within this course.

Learned so much understanding about how all this works globally.

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Careers

An overview of related careers and their average salaries in the US. Bars indicate income percentile.

Criminal Court Clerk $39k

Criminal Records Coordinator $40k

Financial Crimes Specialist 5 $56k

Criminal Justice Trainer $57k

Supervisor Computer Crimes Investigator $66k

Financial Crimes Investigative Analyst 2 $70k

Associate Financial Crimes Specialist $75k

Computer Crimes Investigator $79k

Criminal Investigator 1 2 $84k

Ranger/Criminal Investigator $115k

Sgt/criminal investigator $127k

Criminal Division Extern $138k

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Rating 4.7 based on 293 ratings
Length 9 weeks
Effort 7-8 hours of lectures and assessments
Starts Jul 3 (43 weeks ago)
Cost $49
From Case Western Reserve University via Coursera
Instructor Michael Scharf
Download Videos On all desktop and mobile devices
Language English
Subjects Social Sciences
Tags Social Sciences Law

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