Period 1: Public Law

Language: Turkish

Dates: 26 July – 6 August 2021


Course Description

The Public Law Camp, which will be offered as part of the High School Summer School, aims to provide students with basic information on international law and human rights. The camp focuses primarily on the issues covered by international law, what kind of a legal order it creates, the sources of law in this area and the resolution of disputes. At the same time, the structure of international organizations, mechanisms of international organizations which work closely with Türkiye and their relations with the Turkish law will be examined. Basic information on human rights, which is an important sub-branch of international law, will also be presented. The definition of human rights, how these rights are used, what are the basic conventions in this field and the working style of the European Court of Human Rights, which is closely related to Turkish law, will be explained to the students.

After the basic information of international law and human rights law is covered in the first week, case studies will be conducted in the second week. On human rights, human rights resolutions concerning Türkiye closely, will be examined. In small groups, the students will read the important decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and present the decisions to the class by making a presentation. The legal aspects of the issues that students frequently encounter in their daily lives will be examined. Women’s rights, climate crisis, artificial intelligence and how it is regulated in the legal field of refugee law and issues such as Türkiye’s commitments on these issues will be explained to the students.

Faculty
Işıl Aral PhD Law School

Işıl Aral completed her undergraduate education at Galatasaray University Law School. She worked in Bayraktar Law Firm in the field of criminal law for three years. She completed her master’s degree in human rights at the London School of Economics and her doctorate in international law at the University of Manchester. Her research interests include international law theory, international organizations, democratic governance in international law, and human rights theory.

Course Objectives

The objectives of the course are to provide students with information on:

  • having a general knowledge about the functioning of international law, which is one of the foundations of public law
  • learning working mechanisms of international organizations frequently encountered in daily life and understanding the importance of these organizations for Türkiye
  • acquiring the knowledge of fundamental rights that every citizen should have and how to protect these rights
  • acquiring basic information about international mechanisms that ensure the protection of human rights
  • learning how to read and analyze court decisions by reading important decisions on human rights
  • learning what women’s rights that are of the highest importance today
  • learning the legal dimension of the climate crisis, which threatens the future of the world
  • learning how issues that appear in the news every day, such as artificial intelligence and refugee law, are arranged in the field of law

Course Outcomes

Students taking this course will have basic knowledge about the following topics:

  • How states establish legal relations with each other in international law and how they resolve disputes
  • For what purpose international organizations are established and how they work
  • Why human rights are important and how they are legally secured
  • How the understanding of human rights can be different and protected differently in different parts of the world
  • The rights protected by the European Convention on Human Rights and how a case is taken to the European Court of Human Rights
  • The content and importance of the Istanbul Convention on women’s rights
  • The mandatory steps that states should take legally on the climate crisis
  • How a legal order is established in artificial intelligence and refugee law issues

Course Materials

The materials to be used in the course, reading texts, case examples and contracts will be shared with the students.

Program Outline:

WEEK ONE: INTERNATIONAL LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS LAW

Course 1: Introduction to International Law
• What is international law?
• What are the sources of international law?
• Dispute resolution in international law

Course 2: International Organizations
• History of the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the European Union
• Bodies and working mechanism of the United Nations
• The Council of Europe’s how it works, and what is its importance for Türkiye?
• Its effects on the European Union and Turkish law

Course 3: Human Rights
• What are human rights?
• What are the basic human rights conventions?
• What are the obligations of Türkiye in the field of human rights?

Course 4: Human Rights Protection Mechanisms
• United Nations human rights protection mechanisms
• Differences between universal and regional human rights protection mechanisms
• Overview of human rights in America and Africa continents

SECOND WEEK: CURRENT TOPICS IN HUMAN RIGHTS

Course 1: European Convention on Human Rights
• What is the European Convention on Human Rights?
• What is the importance for Türkiye of the European Convention on Human Rights?
• Who can apply to the European Court of Human Rights?

Course 2: European Court of Human Rights
• Content of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights
• Functioning of the European Court of Human Rights
•  Group presentations on the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights

Course 3: Current Issues
• What are women’s rights?
• Istanbul Convention and its importance for Türkiye
• What is the Climate Crisis and what are its repercussions in international law?
• What obligations do the Kyoto and Paris Conventions on the Climate Crisis impose on states?

Course 4: Current Issues
• What are the regulations in international law on artificial intelligence?
• What is refugee law?
• What are the obligations of Türkiye on refugees?

Course Schedule

1. Week

26-Jul 27-Jul 28-Jul 29-Jul 30-Jul
10:00-10:50 Extracurricular Activities Introduction to International Law Extracurricular Activities Human Rights Extracurricular Activities
10:50-11:10 Break Break
11:10-12:00 Introduction to International Law Human Rights
12:00-13:00 Break Break
13:00-13:50 Introduction to International Law International Organizations Human Rights Human Rights Protection Mechanisms
13:50-14:10 Break Break Break Break
14:10-15:00 International Organizations International Organizations Human Rights Protection Mechanisms Human Rights Protection Mechanisms
15:00-16:00 Break Break Break Break
16:00-17:00 Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular Activities

2. Week

02-Aug 03-Aug 04-Aug 05-Aug 06-Aug
10:00-10:50 European Convention on Human Rights Extracurricular Activities Current Issues Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular Activities
10:50-11:10 Break Break
11:10-12:00 European Convention on Human Rights Current Issues
12:00-13:00 Break Break
13:00-13:50 Avrupa İnsan Hakları Sözleşmesi European Convention on Human Rights Current Issues Current Issues
13:50-14:10 Break Break Break Break
14:10-15:00 European Convention on Human Rights European Convention on Human Rights Current Issues Current Issues
15:00-16:00 Break Break Break Break
16:00-17:00 Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular Activities