Postgraduate Diploma in Arts in International Law

This Introduction to Law and Legal Systems is intended as a bridging course in international law. It is designed to equip non-cognate learners (i.e. those with no prior background in law) with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in an MA in International Law programme.

This module is 100% Continuous Assessment

This is a Mandatory Module

The aim of this module is to promote in the learner advanced legal research and writing skills. The module initially focusses on the development of online research skills and search operators. The learner develops an understanding of various research methodologies which can be employed when conducting research; doctrinal, comparative, socio-legal etc., while also developing the skill and confidence to formulate a research proposal. 

This is a Mandatory Module

This module aims to introduce learners to the international system of law and international institutions. It explores the origin and function of the international legal system and the role and function of international institutions throughout the world. Learners will be introduced to some of the many challenges facing international law and international institutions in carrying out their mandate, including rogue states, the fragmentation of international law, the institutional legacy of the origins of the United Nations. It will explore growing fields of study such as the accountability of international institutions, and global constitutionalism. 

Typical international commercial transactions involve numerous contracts over national boundaries. The objective of the module is to make participants familiar with the key contracts and institutions in international commerce. Learners examine private international law (conflict of laws) issues, international contract terms (INCOTERMS), and the Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and UNIDROIT principles as they apply to international contracts. Attention is paid to the role of the WTO as it is considered one of the most important developments in the history of international trade law. GATT is another significant area upon which there is significant focus. 

This module examines the development of International Human Rights Law with specific reference to its expansion in the 20th and 21st centuries. The evolution of the protection of Human Rights from purely a national concern to a global concern is a central theme and involves analysis of the birth of international enforcement mechanisms. The divisions between civil and political rights and socio-economic and cultural rights are discussed with particular focus on the relationship between both sets of rights. Current International Human Rights issues form the final part of this module with learners looking at specific concerns of the international community.

The primary objective of this module is to impart a critical understanding of the structure, objectives and mechanisms of Corporate Governance, and the legal and other issues affecting systems by which corporations are directed and controlled. Themes and issues explored include: theoretical and overview perspectives on Corporate Governance; the nature of the corporation, the basic model of the firm, principal-agent theory; the legal framework of Corporate Governance; the role and responsibilities of directors and boards; enforcement of director duties; monitoring and legal compliance issues; executive compensation, takeovers, and shareholder activism. 

*Please note that electives are run subject to demand and discretion of the faculty.

This module is designed to provide a broad overview of the legal and practical aspects underpinning International Commercial Arbitration. The objective of any arbitration is to resolve a dispute. So as to facilitate resolution, all unnecessary obstacles need to be removed. In the context of international disputes there can be many obstacles, such as language barriers, different jurisdictions, different legal principles etc. To alleviate these difficulties a number of international instruments have been enacted throughout the years culminating in the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law in 1985.

*Please note that electives are run subject to demand and discretion of the faculty.

The objectives of this module are twofold. Firstly, it seeks to develop within the learner an in-depth understanding of the economic and political basis for the Internal Market of the European Union and the laws that ensure its operation. Secondly, it requires the learner to critically analyse the European Union’s policies in the sphere of Competition Law. The module will address a number of current legal issues in the development of the Internal Market, such as the future of the Eurozone, the position of Public Services and the impact of the developing jurisprudence on Citizenship. The learner is encouraged to critically assess the basis for Competition Law within the EU and engage with academic commentary and court decisions to determine whether the overall policy goals are being met.

*Please note that electives are run subject to demand and discretion of the faculty.

At a time of tentative emergence from crisis on the global markets, this module seeks to enable learners to address the major regulatory and contractual aspects of Financial Services Law. The module deals with the institutional structures created to protect international financial transactions. There is a particular focus on the impact that European Union legislation is having on the area, with a number of the key regulations being examined in detail. There is also a strong emphasis on the 2008 Financial crisis and the impact that it has had on the financial services industry. The module is suitable for those seeking to work in law firms which have International Financial Services as a significant part of their workload, but also for those who hope to work directly in the Financial Services sector.

*Please note that electives are run subject to demand and discretion of the faculty.

This module provides a detailed overview of the principles regarding the key aspects of Intellectual Property Law: International Copyright, Patents, Design Rights, Trademark and Passing Off and Misappropriation of Personality and Publicity and Privacy Rights. Case law illustrating the application of these principles along with international treaties dealing with Intellectual Property is addressed. The module seeks to enhance the learner’s ability to apply theoretical aspects of the jurisprudence to real life situations through the use of case studies.

*Please note that electives are run subject to demand and discretion of the faculty.

This module combines analysis of current law with a critical exploration of the structures, potential, and limits of law and legal reform.  The focus of the module is human rights, both as a legal regime with specific application to gender and sexuality issues, and as a political sphere within which issues relating to gender and sexuality are negotiated.  The module includes discussions of domestic, European, and international developments.  As such, this module provides grounding in the key issues of gender, sexuality and human rights discourse whilst ensuring that learners will gain an understanding and appreciation of those issues which are at the cutting edge of these discussions.

*Please note that electives are run subject to demand and discretion of the faculty.

This module provides a detailed and comprehensive understanding of International Asylum and Immigration Law. The learner studies the principles, doctrines and rules underpinning International Asylum and Immigration law, along with relevant international legal instruments. The module addresses the political, social and philosophical issues raised by asylum seeking, while also providing learners with the tools to solve technical asylum problems.

*Please note that electives are run subject to demand and discretion of the faculty.

International criminal law (ICL) combines elements of Public International Law – predominantly international humanitarian law (IHL), with some human rights law and refugee law – with domestic criminal law to determine the scope of international crimes and the jurisdiction to prosecute. Those crimes generally encompassed by international criminal law are war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

The module objectives are to facilitate an understanding of the historical and political forces leading to the creation of international criminal law and its power-based approach while also fostering within learners a comprehensive knowledge of the theoretical basis of the principles underpinning international criminal law and critical awareness of Eurocentric notion thereof. Learners will also develop an awareness of the treaties governing international criminal law and of the tribunals which enforce them against the background of counter-hegemonic approaches and a practical knowledge of the proceedings before international criminal law tribunals.

*Please note that electives are run subject to demand and discretion of the faculty.

This module extensively examines the development of the laws of armed conflict derived from the 1863 Lieber Code and the 1868 St Petersburg Declaration and its application to the theatre of hostilities. Far-reaching advances in the categorisation of conflicts, the dynamics of warfare, weapons and aerial bombardment have resulted in an international struggle to apply a dated international Humanitarian Law framework to altered realities on the ground. In parallel, developing Human Rights norms now extend to armed conflict but the relationship and interpretation of the competing sets of norms is open to dispute. This module examines the categorisation of armed conflicts, the status of parties to the conflict, PoW’s, civilians, belligerent occupation, methods and means of warfare, and self determination and armed conflict. Accordingly, the module analyses the application of the laws of armed conflict in contemporary battle grounds through case studies examining inter alia Iraq, Palestine and Syria.

*Please note that electives are run subject to demand and discretion of the faculty.

A fundamental aim of the module is to instil an understanding of the principles of peacebuilding through the mechanisms incorporated under Restorative Justice practices. Restorative justice focuses on the harm done to an individual, and how they might be healed. It differs from the general judicial practice that is more focused on retribution, and punishment. Restorative justice places the victim at the centre of the process and facilitates a dialogue between the victim, offender, and the community at large with aim of helping the offender identify the harm and hurt caused, to prevent recidivism. Flexibility and responsiveness are among the key aims and features of the restorative processes.

The aim of this module is to bring together academic rigour, and practical knowledge and skills in the field of restorative justice practices and enable identification of vital link between such practices and peacebuilding and reconciliation. The crucial relationship between the concept and practice of reconciliation, and the broader fields of peacebuilding, conflict transformation, human rights and development will also be critically analysed.

*Please note that electives are run subject to demand and discretion of the faculty.

The purpose of this module is to introduce learners to the various aspects of the discipline of criminology, the study of crime as a social phenomenon. The sub-discipline of victimology is also examined in this module, the study of the causes and impact of victimisation in society. This module aims to equip learners with a comprehensive understanding of a number of criminological theories, all of which see crime as a social construct. Additionally, the objective of this module is to apply these theories to various aspects of the criminal justice system and criminal offending in Ireland, in comparative jurisdictions and at the international level. These broader criminological concerns are then complimented by a consideration of victimological theories and the place of victims in the criminal justice system.

*Please note that electives are run subject to demand and discretion of the faculty.

This module examines the protection of Social and Economic Rights within International Law. It seeks to locate social and economic rights within the wider scope of International Human Rights Law protection and addresses the theoretical debates over the method of protection that these rights should be given. Learners study the operation of the UNESCR and assess its effectiveness. The UNESCR is compared to a range of regional instruments and the contrasts between the various methods of protection discussed. Case studies are undertaken focusing on the protection of specific rights within developing and developed nations.

*Please note that electives are run subject to demand and discretion of the faculty.

This module provides an explanatory overview to data protection and privacy law, taking an international perspective that encompasses Irish and EU law. The module will consider theoretical and practical approaches in understanding the power and significance of handling personal information securely.

Attention is given to the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and understanding will be provided as to its key principles and what these principles mean in practice. Furthermore, the module will investigate how the GDPR is changing not just the EU approach to data protection and privacy but also the global approach. 

*Please note that electives are run subject to demand and discretion of the faculty.

Study Mode: Full-Time

Dublin: EUR 6,050.00

Study Mode: Full-Time

Dublin: EUR 8,000.00

Study Mode: Full-Time

Dublin: €8,000.00

Non-EU living in Ireland or abroad: Please refer to our Non-EU Tuition Fees section.

Non-EU students: a Student Services and Administration fee of EUR200 is payable each academic year in addition to the fees quoted below.