Conducted in terms: 2025Z, 2026Z

Erasmus code: 14.6

ISCED code: 0312

ECTS credits: 3

Language: Polish

Organized by: Faculty of Political Science and International Studies

Contemporary trends in international law 2104-M-D1WTPM

Sources of International Law (with a focus on customary law and peremptory norms)
States, international organizations, international corporations, individuals – a new approach to international legal personality (subjects of international law)
Disputes over sovereignty regarding a state's maritime territory (territory and the law of the sea)
Space law in the era of Mars exploration (territory and air and space law)
International law and the protection of migrants – challenges of climate migration (population in international law: nationality, diplomatic and consular protection, refugees and migrants)
Development of human rights standards – main trends
Problems in the implementation of human rights
Responsibility to protect – theory and practice
State responsibility
Is Article 2(4) of the UN Charter still binding? (use of force)
The International Court of Justice and other international courts

Term 2025Z:

4.10.2023 Dorota Heidrich
Państwa, organizacje międzynarodowe, korporacje międzynarodowe, jednostki - nowe podejście do międzynarodowej osobowości prawnej (Podmioty prawa międzynarodowego)

11.10. Dorota Heidrich
Spory dotyczące suwerenności nad terytorium morskim państwa – sprawa Arctic Sunrise (Terytorium i prawo morza)

Disputes Over Territorial Sovereignty at Sea – Arctic Sunrise Case

18.10. Dorota Heidrich
Prawo kosmiczne w erze eksploracji Marsa (Terytorium i prawo lotnicze oraz kosmiczne)
Space Law in the era of Mars exploration (Territory and Law of the Outer Space)

25.10 Prawo międzynarodowe i ochrona migrantów – wyzwania migracji klimatycznych (Obywatelstwo, ochrona dyplomatyczna i konsularna, uchodźcy oraz migranci)

Protection of forced migrants (environmental migrants as part) (population in international law; citizenship; diplomats and consular protection; migrants vs. refugees)

8.11. Exam from part II with prof. Heidrich+Agnieszka Bieńczyk-Missala
Rozwój standardów praw człowieka – główne trendy
Development of Human Rights Standards - tendencies

15.11. Agnieszka Bieńczyk-Missala
Problemy implementacji praw człowieka
Human Rights Implementation Methods
22.11. Prawa człowieka w polityce zagranicznej
Human Rights in Foreign Policy

29.11. Agnieszka Bieńczyk-Missala
Odpowiedzialność za ochronę, Teoria i praktyka
Responsibility to Protect - Theory&Practice

6.12. Agnieszka Bieńczyk-Missala
Prawa człowieka i nowe technologie
Human rights and new technologies

13.12. Exam from part II with prof. Bieńczyk-Missala+ Patrycja Grzebyk
Źródła prawa międzynarodowego (ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem prawa zwyczajowego i norm peremptoryjnych)
Sources of International law
(focus on customary law and peremptory norms)

20.12. Patrycja Grzebyk
Odpowiedzialność państwa
Responsibility of states

10.01. Patrycja Grzebyk
Czy art. 2 (4) KNZ jeszcze obowiązuje? (Użycie siły)
Is Art. 2 (4) of the UN Charter still binding? (Use of Force)
17.01. Patrycja Grzebyk
Międzynarodowy Trybunał Sprawiedliwości i inne sądy międzynarodowe
International Criminal Justice and other international courts

24.01. EXAM III from the part of prof. Grzebyk +
Sztuczna inteligencja na polu walki
AI on the battlefield

Term 2026Z:

States, international organizations, international corporations, individuals – a new approach to international legal personality (subjects of international law)
Disputes over sovereignty regarding a state's maritime territory – the Arctic Sunrise case (territory and the law of the sea)
Space law in the era of Mars exploration (territory and air and space law)
International law and the protection of migrants – challenges of climate migration (nationality, diplomatic and consular protection, refugees and migrants)
Problems in the implementation of human rights
Human rights in foreign policy
Responsibility to protect – theory and practice
Human rights and new technologies
Sources of international law (with a focus on customary law and peremptory norms)
State responsibility
Is Article 2(4) of the UN Charter still binding? (use of force)
The International Court of Justice and other international courts

Course coordinators

Term 2025Z:

Agnieszka Bieńczyk-Missala
Patrycja Grzebyk
Dorota Heidrich

Term 2026Z:

Patrycja Grzebyk
Dorota Heidrich
Michał Nadziak
Anna Wróbel

Type of course

obligatory courses

Mode

General:

Classroom

Term 2025Z:

Remote learning

Term 2026Z:

Remote learning

Prerequisites (description)

Student should know the basics of public international law. The aim of the course is to revise knowledge from PIL and discuss the current problems and tendencies in international law in light of recent events.

Learning outcomes

Students knows IL terms and is able to apply them to the description of current situation. Student uses sources of IL and interpreted them.

K_W01, K_W03,K_W05, , K_U01, K_U02, K_U03, K_U04, K_K01, K_K02

Assessment criteria

Methods

conversational lecture with presentation
group project – preparation of a legal analysis

The project must be completed independently, in line with ethical principles, protection of intellectual property, and the rules in force at the University of Warsaw and the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies (WNPiSM) regarding the use of AI tools (Resolution No. 14 of the University Council for Education of 13 July 2020 on guidelines concerning standards and procedures in cases of coursework and diploma theses prepared in violation of the law at the University of Warsaw; regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, the rules set out in Resolution No. 98 of the University Council for Education of the UW of 8 December 2023 on guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence tools in the educational process apply, as well as Resolution No. 29/2025 of the WNPiSM Teaching Council of 7 May 2025 on detailed rules for the use of artificial intelligence tools in the educational process). Permitted level of AI use: 2.
Written exam. Possibility of raising the grade through preparation of the specified group project (essay/presentation). The list of projects is published at the first class on the Kampus platform.
The exam consists of 4 open-ended questions scored 0–5 points each — 20 points total.
90% very good
80% good plus
70% good
60% satisfactory plus
51% satisfactory
Contact hours: Participation in seminars in the classroom – workload: 30 h
Contact hours: Participation in the exam session and consultations (during teaching office hours) – workload: 5 h
Independent work: Studying literature and preparing for current classes – workload: 15 h
Independent work: Teamwork, preparation of a multimedia presentation – workload: 10 h
Independent work: Independent study and preparation for the test exam – workload: 15 h

Practical placement

Not applied.

Bibliography

Before each class students are required to refresh their knowledge about international law from basic IL handbooks (in parentheses after the title of each class, it is indicated what kind of chapters are crucial to prepare for the class). The handbooks can be selected among e.g.:

• David Armstrong, Routledge Handbook of International Law
• Malcolm N. Evans, International Law
• Conway W. Henderson, Understanding International Law.
• Jan Klabbers, International Law, 2nd edition.
• Peter Malanczuk, Akehurst’s Modern Interoduction to International Law
• Malcolm N. Shaw, International Law.

In addition, students are required to read the literature indicated next to the each class topic - this literature may be amended at least one week before the class (in some cases there is also Polish literature mentioned but this chapters/books etc. are not mandatory lecture for studies in English.

Term 2025Z:

None

Term 2026Z:

As stated in the main description. Materials are also posted on the Kampus platform.

Notes

Term 2025Z:

None

Term 2026Z:

As stated in the main description.