-- 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.
BG
This course is flexible & stuffed with huge information which is really helpful to build our knowledge. Thank you very very much for providing this course.Annesha Kar Gupta
EB
I thoroughly enjoyed this highly informative course - it shed a lot of light on aspects which have puzzled me over the years. Fascinating and very well presented. Thank you.
AM
learned so much from this course, absolutely loved it, and the way the professor taught the lessons showed his experience and his knowledge even for fist timers it would be a great course to opt for.
SS
Excellent course. You get to learn a lot through real life cases. The course is well designed to provide fundamental knowledge of international crimes and criminal proceedings.
IA
i really enjoyed learn in this course. the materials presented, how the professor explains, are very easy to understand and pleasant to hear, I hope to meet a course that presents learning like this
SM
I loved the course as I learnt a lot which would help me in the future. I want to thank Mr Scharf for spending his time going through the key topics about International CrimInal Law
MT
Great course. I am truly enjoyed Profesor Michael Shrarf videos and special material every week. I finished with new knowledge about International Criminal Law. Thank you
RS
Being a law student one should always expand and widen the knowledge of globally affected issues and international criminal court. this course helps me expand my horizons in international laws.
W
The course presentation was exceptional as the lecturer is very knowlegeable and experience; also the materials and videos were top quality, i am excited about Coursera!!!!
S
I found the course to be very useful as it got my attention towards the international law and i must admit that I'm getting used to it and might thing of my masters in it one day.
IR
I strongly encourage anyone who might be interested in becoming a lawyer to take this course! I'm a high school student and I am so glad I found out about this amazing course. So grateful!!!
AA
Great course, resourceful with many examples from international criminal tribunals that helps students to get a better understanding of how international law is implemented across different case!
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I thoroughly enjoyed this highly informative course - it shed a lot of light on aspects which have puzzled me over the years. Fascinating and very well presented. Thank you.
Teacher has a clear pro israel bias. This does not fit a fact based academic course.
The given introduction didn't help me to figure out how the grading system will look like. There are no assignments to submit, only online group works, which is not organised well at all. There are too many threads and the it's not at all clear what to write about. Apparently I should write about certain cases, but I couldn't find the content of the case. There is no proper introduction, work overview or anything. Very dissapointing.
i really enjoyed learn in this course. the materials presented, how the professor explains, are very easy to understand and pleasant to hear, I hope to meet a course that presents learning like this
Too much focus on the US and implications for the US. Paternalistic viewpoint and very biased. Not up to Courseras usual standard. Very disappointed
Being a law student one should always expand and widen the knowledge of globally affected issues and international criminal court. this course helps me expand my horizons in international laws.
I think its good to have a complete course of the historical laws which its a very complete on all the factor to understand more the system of justice ... recommended
First of all, I would like to greet Professor Michel Scharf for the passing of his birthday on April 25th. Congratulations!
Secondly, I wanted to say that I was in love with the course of International Criminal Law, for its comprehensiveness in every way, but also, I was surprised by the content, quite complex but wonderful.
I loved the teaching of Professor Michel Sharf, humorous, which is captivating the student to proceed, and also, it tells people in general, that the Judge does not have an easy, glamorous life.
That it is very difficult to practice art called "Justice", which is often dangerous, sad, tiring, but also, can be funny.
One of the themes that touched me most were the crimes committed against and by children induced by adults.
Here in Brazil, I try to do research on the "Disappearance of Children" and what motives lead them to live on the streets.
I want to apologize for the English that I need to improve.
As I like Criminal Law too much, I intend to take part in other courses.
See you later,
Thank you for the opportunity.
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The course is very informative and concise, yet it does not leave details that is necessary for nouvelle learners like me, who are interested to delve into understanding International Criminal Law.
I am writing to thank professor Michael for his great course. I considered this class one of my favorite courses. This class honestly gave me a new understanding of the world. 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. Many thanks for being a remarkable teacher .
best regards, Raed Bin Sadan
Es un excelente curso para ampliar los conocimientos en derecho penal internacional, y, el beneficio de encontrar subtitulo permite a las personas que no son nativos del ingles entender todo el contenido. recomendado.
The teacher in this course is not objective at all. Certain judgements are made in this course about things that are not clearly known. This platform was not based to do politics
I absolutely loved this course. I had no previous law experience, and this course has proven to be the exact challenge i needed. The professor obviously has a passion for law, and tells a story in such a way that you want to keep listening. Also, the variety of cases discussed in this course are very in-depth, mixed with the hands-on experience of the professor made for a very entertaining, yet very educational course. The questions and exams were also challenging. If you want to invest in a certificate for a law course I would strongly advise you to take this course.
Extremely well-organized. Really glad to see how all previous examples and history records were referenced to every topic. Neatly explained topics. Every aspect was discussed and explained in detail.
learned so much from this course, absolutely loved it, and the way the professor taught the lessons showed his experience and his knowledge even for fist timers it would be a great course to opt for.
It is not very nice to give such vague facts as 'the Turks killed millions of Armenians' or 'Saddam Hussein killed millions of Kurds'. It is necessary to give exact or at least approximate numbers. The data they give in this course is random and not very well sourced. After the first video I dropped out of the course.
Estimados tutores, mis más sinceras felicitaciones, me gustó compartir con ustedes y recibir el curso, el cual fue muy profesional, didáctico, participativo y principalmente formativo. Para mi formación académica en el campo del derecho internacional. Especialmente al tutor Michael Sharf, quien posee una amplia experiencia en este campo, preparación académica de alto nivel, que en su conjunto me permitieron adquirir nuevas competencias. Espero poder participar en cursos de este nivel en la rama del derecho con tutores como ustedes.
Atentamente,
María Luisa
I strongly encourage anyone who might be interested in becoming a lawyer to take this course! I'm a high school student and I am so glad I found out about this amazing course. So grateful!!!
This was one of the best courses I ever had. I was too much into this course. I learned a lot I don't have law background but Professor explained everything very well. Thank you :)
Professor Scharf was excellent as always. I can say that because I am a graduate of New England Law/Boston Class of 2002, his final year at that school. I had the privilege of having him as my instructor in Public International Law in the Fall of 2001 and in International Organizations in the Spring of 2002. I also though that the lecture topics were well chosen and presented in a logical order. The section on Terrorism & Piracy was especially interesting. I hope to pursue an online LLM in International Criminal Law at the University of New Hampshire School of Law. Thanks again Professor Scharf, and I hope you and your family are well in Ohio!