Human Rights

1

H UMAN RIGHTS AND  GLOBAL  JUSTICE   (UNIB20009)
MELBOURNE  L AW   S CHOOL
S EMESTER 2  2014

ASSIGNMENT  TOPICS AND INSTRUCTIONS

Students in Human Rights and Global Justice must submit a  1,800 word assignment  on
ONE of the topics listed below by 4.00pm on Thursday 1 8 September 2014. The
assignment  is worth  40% of the final mark in this subject.

Students should read the instructions a t the end of this document and i n the
Reading Guide,  and  the Style Guide  appended to this document,  prior to
commencing work on the assignment.  Students should note the deadline for
submission of  assignments , the method of submission, and other information regarding
assessment provided in this document,  the Style Guide and  the Reading Guide. Failure
to comply with this information could result in a marking penalty being applied.

TOPICS  (choose ONE only)

To p i c 1
The Human Rights Council, despite a promising beginning, has become just as
compromised and ineffectual as its predecessor the Human Rights Commission.
Discuss.

To p i c 2
The origins of ‘human rights’ are not to be found in the foundational documents of the
American and French revolutions, but in the  politics  of Europe after 1945. Discuss.

To p i c 3
The definition of a refugee in the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967  Protocol is
outdated. It should be reformed to take account of the realities of refugees and displaced
persons in 2014.  Discuss.

To p i c 4
Human rights cannot, and should not, be protected by laws alone. Discuss.