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.
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.
The objectives of the course are to provide students with information on:
Students taking this course will have basic knowledge about the following topics:
The materials to be used in the course, reading texts, case examples and contracts will be shared with the students.
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?
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 |