FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND LAW

ACADEMIC YEAR 2021/22

Coursework Assessment Brief (RESIT)

Module Code: UJGUPC-15-M

Module Title: International Law and Institutions
Submission Deadline: Tuesday 26 April 2022 by 14.00
Assessment Component: Component B (Coursework)
Assessment Weighting: 60 per cent of total module mark
Marking and feedback deadline: 27 May 2022 (tbc)
(20 working days after end of grace period):
N.B. all times are 24-hour clock, current local time (at time of submission) in the UK

Assessment Instructions

This is an individual assessment.

Please answer ONE of the following questions:

Question 1

In which circumstances will treaty reservations be invalid and what are the consequences of
invalid reservations to treaties?

Critically assess this question in light of the International Law Commission’s (ILC) Guide to
Practice on Reservations to Treaties discussed by Milanovic and Sicilianos in their article
‘Reservations to Treaties: An Introduction’. Please make use of specific examples to support
your assessment and also refer to the views of other academic authors.

(M Milanovic and L Sicilianos, ‘Reservations to Treaties: An Introduction’ (2013) 24 EJIL 1055,

available through Heinonline or here
<https://ciaotest.cc.columbia.edu/journals/ejil/v24i4/f_0030117_24364.pdf>)

OR

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Question 2

According to adherents of the sanctions-orientated model of compliance, sanctions are needed

to ensure state compliance with international law as it is necessary to create costs to non-
compliance. Adherents of the managerial model of compliance argue, however, that the reason
why states do not comply with international law is often lack of capacity rather than lack of will
and that compliance is more likely if the reasons for non-compliance are investigated and
addressed.

Critically assess these two different approaches to state compliance with International Law as
discussed by Brunnée in her article, ‘Enforcement Mechanisms in International Law and
International Environmental Law’.

Please use specific examples to support your assessment. Please also refer to the views of other
authors.

(Jutta Brunnée, ‘Enforcement Mechanisms in International Law and International

Environmental Law’ (2005) 1 Environmental Law Network International 1
<https://www.elni.org/fileadmin/elni/dokumente/Archiv/2005/artikel-heft-1/
Ausgabe_05_01_brunnee.pdf>)

Assessment Criteria

The coursework will be marked as a whole in line with the LLM General Assessment Criteria
that you can find in your LLM Handbook on Blackboard:
https://blackboard.uwe.ac.uk/webapps/blackboard/content/listContentEditable.jsp?
content_id=_1523293_1&course_id=_128125_1&mode=reset. Note that it is the overall level
of engagement and knowledge displayed that will be marked, in a holistic manner, rather than
awarding points for individual sections. Each part/section counts “the same” insofar as to say:
there is no percentage attached to each part/section. Rather, we are looking for consistency in
application and the ability to cross-reference knowledge between the individual parts, where
applicable.

As students of International Law and Institutions, guidance and tuition will have provided you
with relevant information and background knowledge to complete this assignment.

Nonetheless, some research above and beyond the taught material will have to be carried out
to show level M accomplishment of the criteria which will be marked at the relevant level of
accomplishment.

Formative feedback and support during the module

Formative feedback provides opportunities to reflect on your ongoing work and preparation for
your assignment.

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Formative feedback is provided throughout the module in particular as part of discussion of
workshop questions as well as practice presentations.

Further information about this assessment is available on the Blackboard site for this module
and includes:

 LLM Assessment criteria (see under Assignments)

 Coursework Guidance (see under Assignments)

Formatting

Please use the following file format(s) Microsoft Word as .doc or .docx. We cannot ensure that
other formats are compatible with markers’ software and cannot guarantee to mark incorrect
formats.

All work should be word processed in 12-point font Times New Roman or Arial and double
spaced.

The first page of your coursework must include:

 Your student number
 The module name and number
 Your word count
 The coursework question.

Word Limit

The maximum word limit for this coursework is 3000 words.

 There is no +/- 10% on word count and anything after the maximum word count will not be
marked, in line with UWE Bristol’s Word Count Policy.
 In line with UWE policy, this word count includes everything in the main body of the text
(including headings, tables, citations, quotes, lists, etc.).
 The references, bibliography and footnotes (provided footnotes only include references) are
NOT included in this word count.

Referencing and Assessment Offences

Please ensure you reference all sources used when developing your assessment, using the UWE
OSCOLA system.

Failure to properly reference your work to original source material can be grounds for the
assessment offence of plagiarism and may result in failure of the assessment or more serious
implications. Further guidance on correct referencing is available on UWE’s Study Skills
referencing pages.

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UWE’s Assessment Offences Policy outlines potential offences and it is your responsibility to
understand this policy and avoid potential offences. Details of what constitutes plagiarism and
how to avoid it can be found on UWE’s Study Skills pages about avoiding plagiarism.

Text-matching software (e.g. SafeAssign) is used to check every submission against other
submissions made at the same time, previous submissions to UWE and other universities, and
internet sources. We may also manually search for matches. When submitting your work, you
will be required to confirm that the work is your own.

It is an assessment offence to:

- copy work from any source, including your own previous assessments, and present it as
your own work for this assessment, or to provide your own work to others
- to work with others on the assessment in any way, or for anyone to make amends on
your work (including proofreaders, who may highlight issues but not edit the work)
- change individual words but keep, essentially, the same sentences and/or structures
from other sources: this will be detected by text-matching software. Please write in your
own words and style to convey your own learning.

Instructions for submission

You must submit your assignment by the stated deadline by electronic submission
through Blackboard. Notification that the electronic submission portal is open for your
assignment is displayed (usually two weeks before the submission date) in the Coursework tab
in myUWE, the Coursework tab in Blackboard and via an announcement in the Blackboard
course.

Please allow sufficient time to upload your assignment, as the system becomes busier and
slower as the deadline approaches. Only your final upload will be counted. Ensure all your
information is submitted at one attempt to avoid overwriting your intended submission. Always
check and retain your receipts.

For full guidance on online submission through Blackboard, see UWE’s Academic Advice pages
on Assignments.

Submissions of coursework by any other method (including a paper copy, on disk or by email)
are NOT permissible for this module unless specifically agreed in advance of the submission
date.

Before submitting your work, please ensure that:

 You have proof read your work thoroughly to ensure your work is presented
appropriately

 You have addressed all the required elements of the assessment

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  You have referenced in accordance with the guidance provided

 You have addressed each of the marking criteria

 The submission is in the correct format

 This assessment has a three day grace period in which students can submit their work
without penalty. While students are expected to plan their work so that they are not
impacted by minor illness or delay, if you experience difficulties which affect your ability
to submit your work at the published deadline the University allows a three day grace
period in which you can submit your work without penalty for this type of assessment.
Please note that the submission deadline at the conclusion of the three day grace period
is absolute and based on UWE server time, therefore you are strongly advised to submit
work well ahead of the deadline dates to avoid your work not being accepted for
marking. For full information please see; Assessment support options - Academic
information | UWE Bristol

Final feedback and marks release

Students will normally receive marks and feedback on their submission within 20 working days
of the submission deadline plus the 3 day grace period (not including public holidays or
university closure days). Any delay in returning students’ work will be communicated by the
module leader via Blackboard.

Feedback on this module is not limited to the written comments you will receive on individual
written assessment submissions.

Feedback and marks for this module will be available by the date specified at the top of this
document. For further guidance on feedback, please refer to the module handbook.

Further guidance and support

There are a number of sources of support to improve your study skills, including:
 The UWE Library Study Skills pages – for online support and bookable workshops
 The Faculty of Business and Law’s Learning Hub
 Guidance on using UWE’s Library.

Specific study skills pages relating to this module include:

 How to plan and structure your writing
 Presentation skills
 Working in a group
 Writing skills
 Further research skills / techniques
 Report writing

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  Reflective writing
 How to write critically
 Literature reviews
 English language support

You will also find the Foundations for Research (FFR) module useful for enhancing your study
skills.

For further guidance on UWE assessment regulations and terminology see UWE’s Learning and
Teaching Terminology pages.

Personal Circumstances

If you are experiencing difficulties in completing a piece of assessment on time due to

unexpected circumstances (for example illness, accident, bereavement), seek advice from a
Student Support Adviser at the earliest opportunity. Appointments can be made via an
Information Point or online via the Student Support Pages.

Student Support Advisers can advise as to whether you should submit an application for
‘Personal Circumstances (PCs)’, how to do so and what evidence is required to support the
application. Further details on PCs can be found on the Assessment Support Options Pages.

The module leader cannot grant personal circumstances or extensions.