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International Law

In an increasingly globalized world, law draws everything together.

International law is a binding force around the world – and understanding international legal issues will give you an edge in everything from understanding the nightly news to becoming a true global citizen.

Students will learn the fundamentals of public international law and the international legal order. Topics to be covered include the United Nations, treaties, sovereign immunity, the law of war, international criminal law, and international human rights law. Students will discuss international legal issues of contemporary and timeless significance.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLO)

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

CLO 1: Identify the sources of international law and the structure of the international legal order.
CLO 2: Analyze fact scenarios in which international legal issues are raised.
CLO 3: Discuss the role of international law in the modern world.
CLO 4: Develop the skills to research in depth an international legal topic.
CLO 5: Connect international law with Canadian law and society.
CLO 6: Critique the structure of the international legal order.

Course Offering (may be subject to change)

International Law (Law 207/707) is offered in Fall 2023.

Assessment Weighting (may be subject to change)

ASSESSMENT TOOL	WEIGHT
Quizzes	10%
Fact Patterns	30%
Research Paper	50%
Personal Reflection	10%

Students will participate in five mandatory Applied Learning sessions that will run in weeks 1, 6, 7, 11 and 12 with either instructor or TA .These online tutorials will be conducted via Zoom and will provide students with a guided opportunity to practice concepts covered in the relevant week.During the Applied Learning Sessions, students will complete various learning activities, participate in small group discussions with their peers, and practice fact patterns. Grades will be awarded for active participation during the sessions. Students must ensure they meet all technical requirements for the Applied Learning Sessions and that they test their system ahead of each session. No accommodations will be provided for technical issues.

Every other week will be voluntary should you have a question or something to discuss, please send an email to your ALS Group TA or instructor and they will open a Zoom session in your scheduled timing.

Course Materials

Required textbook can be purchased through Queen's Campus Bookstore or directly from Oxford University Press

Complete International Law Text, Cases and Materials, Second Edition (Oxford University Press, 2014), Ademola Abass

Textbook is offered in two versions; hard copy or electronic

Law 207/707

Instructor

Christopher S. Waters

Adjunct Lecturer, Law 207/707 - International Law

Christopher Waters was born in Hamilton, Ontario. In 1973, following an unanticipated early departure from secondary school, he enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces and spent the next 28 years in a variety of roles and appointments in the Army. He participated in exercises and operations in Canada and in Australia, Norway, Germany and Cyprus. He was initially trained and employed as a reconnaissance patrolman, an anti-tank guided missile gunner and, after having earned an officer’s commission, was employed as an armoured reconnaissance troop leader, an armoured squadron commander and a higher headquarters senior staff officer.

In 2001 Christopher switched career paths. After completing law school and articles, joined the Office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) as a military lawyer. As a member of JAG, he has worked in administrative law and grievances, and also served as the Deputy Judge Advocate at Canadian Forces Base Kingston and concurrently as an adjunct professor at the Royal Military College. Christopher deployed twice in Afghanistan as the senior legal advisor to the Commander of the Canadian contribution to the International Security and Assistance Force, first in Kabul (2005) and then Kandahar (2009-2010). On return from Kandahar he was appointed the Director of the Canadian Forces Military Law Centre in Kingston. Christopher retired in 2014 in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He resides in Kingston, where he earned a PhD in International Law at Queen’s and continues his teaching career as a sessional instructor at both Queen’s and St Lawrence College.

For his LLM thesis, Christopher examined military employment law and policy, in particular the balance between statutory requirement to keep members of the Canadian Armed Forces operationally effective and the duty to accommodate disabled employees in Canadian employment law.

Christopher’s PhD research interests are motivated by exposure to international military operations and his experience providing legal advice amid uncertain legal frameworks within difficult and violent peace support missions abroad. Consequently his research revolved around seeking means to reconcile the tension between international human rights law and international humanitarian law in asymmetric conflict.

Christopher holds a BA in Economics and Political Science (Manitoba), an MBA and LLB (New Brunswick) and an LLM and PhD (Queen’s). Christopher is a member of the Law Society of New Brunswick and a life member of the Canadian Bar Association.

More about Christopher S. Waters

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Current students may enrol in courses through SOLUS during course registration periods which are outlined on our current students page.
Please note: Queen's students may only take two courses (6.0 credits) at the 200-level. To be eligible to enrol in additional courses, students are required to apply to the Certificate in Law program (12.0 total credits).

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