Core courses are mandatory. They are structured in six clusters that cover central theoretical and practical issues in the fields of transitional justice, human rights and the rule of law.
The most recent General Comments (GCs) of the United Nations Human Rights Committee deal with two rights that are often of central importance during transitions: the right to life (GC 36) and the right of peaceful assembly (GC 37, currently in its first reading). This course aims at providing students with an overview of the scope and limits of these rights, which are highly relevant to the legal framework applicable to the kind of violence that often accompanies transitions. The course will notably discuss issues like when the police may use force and the legal framework for the investigation of potentially unlawful death. Taking a step back, the course will also look at the relationship between the human rights approach to violence and the' violence reduction’ (also called the 'public health approach’) to violence, and how does this approach differ from and compliment the human rights approach.
Striving towards judicial independence and a functioning and effective justice system is fundamental for countries transitioning to a rule of law based democratic society. On the basis of international norms, standards and practices, this course examines different ways and means of justice-sector reform in post-authoritarian and post-conflict countries. Based on case studies, the class undertakes assessments of the status quo of judicial systems, particularly in relation to the main actors of the justice system, so as to identify systemic deficiencies that require reform. Identifying guarantees of the independence of judges and lawyers, and the impartiality of prosecutors constitutes a key component of this course. Topics such as access to justice, military justice, gender and justice systems as well as judicial accountability are also addressed.