The aim of this course is to provide the students with a critical introduction to the legal side of international economic governance. The students will be introduced to a variety of contemporary perspectives on the role and place of international law in the constitution of the contemporary international economic arena and the impact of the resulting regulatory regimes on issues of national sovereignty, political accountability, and economic self-determination. A particular emphasis in this context will be placed on the role of the international financial architecture and the regimes of international trade and cross-border investment protection.

10 x 2 hour seminars in semester 1.

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The course is assessed by an essay by one reaction paper of 1500 words (25%) and one research essay of 3500 words (75%).

The aim of this course is to provide the students with a critical understanding of the legal aspects of international economic governance and the role of international law in the constitution and structuration of various international economic processes. This will enhance students' understanding of the main areas of international legal regulation - chiefly international finance, international trade and international investment. It will also equip students critically to reflect on modalities and forms of international economic governance and thus add a much needed critical/reflective perspective to legal disciplines that often are taught exclusively with a view to teaching black letter law.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the principal characteristic features of the contemporary international economic legal order;

2. Critically evaluate main trends in international economic governance;

3. Evaluate in a theoretically informed manner the various ways in which international law affects the organisation and day-to-day workings of international economic governance;

4. Critically evaluate the efficacy of various international legal regimes in directing the processes of international economic governance in the light of their stated aims and objectives;

5. Apply a theoretically sophisticated analytical framework to a range of issues at the forefront of contemporary international economic processes.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.