Short Course: Foundations of Public International Law
Date: 5 Double Sessions: 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 March 2023
Time: 10.00 - 12.00 and 13.00 - 15.00 (UK time)
Venue: Online

Course Outline
This short course provides participants with an in depth understanding of the basic tenets of public international law. Bringing together a distinguished cohort of international law experts from academia and practice, the course provides participants with a solid working knowledge of the foundations of public international law including its nature and structure, the sources and subjects of international law, issues of responsibility, jurisdiction and dispute settlement.
The course can be taken alone or together with BIICL's 'Public International Law in Practice' course. That course adopts a thematic approach to the application and practice of public international law with sessions on individual fields of international law including: human rights and business and human rights, climate change, law of the sea, migration and refugee law, international criminal law, international humanitarian law amongst others.
Course topics:
- Nature and Structure of Public International Law
- The United Nations Charter
- Sources of International Law
- Law of Treaties
- Statehood and Recognition
- Law of International Organisations
- The Individual in international Law
- State Responsibility
- Jurisdiction and State Immunity
- International Courts and Tribunals
Course tutors:
- Jill Barrett, Six Pump Court
- Shehzad Charania MBE, Legal Director, UK Government
- Dr Rosana Garciandia, BIICL (course leader)
- Dr. Jean-Pierre Gauci, BIICL (course leader)
- Ndanga Kamau, Ndanga Kamau Law
- Dr Niko Pavlopoulos, Associate Legal Officer, International Court of Justice
- Prof. Dan Sarooshi KC, Essex Court Chambers
- Prof. Philippa Webb, Twenty Essex
- Sir Michael Wood KC, Twenty Essex
Who is the course for?
The course is suited for anyone working within governments, civil society, law firms and elsewhere. It will also benefit anyone with a background in law, international relations, global affairs, policy making and politics, and for those finding that they are increasingly dealing with international law issues in their day-to-day work.
Course format
The virtual course format will consist of a series of 5 double sessions in which live (synchronous) teaching is offered via Zoom. Participants will be able to interact with the tutors and amongst themselves on screen.
Testimonials from past attendees
" The course managed to cover a vast amount of material in a short space of time...""
The course was excellent! We had the opportunity to learn a lot from leading experts in the field..."
Pricing and registration
The course cost is £775 per person (including VAT).
Course Discounts
Member discount: 15% discount for individual members of BIICL
Details of individual memberships at BIICL
Group discounts:
- 15% discount for groups of 3 or more attendees from NGO organisations or staff of government
- 15% discount for groups of 5 or more attendees from commercial organisations
To apply for any of the discounted rates, please Contact Us.
Training scholarships
The British Institute of International and Comparative Law is committed to equality and opportunity in the legal profession and to support greater engagement of under-represented groups in the legal profession.
In our efforts in this regard we are delighted to offer 3 scholarships for each of our short courses to participants from communities and backgrounds currently under-represented in the legal community.
Applications for training scholarships must be received at least three weeks ahead of the course start date (10 February 2023).
Find out more about training scholarships