FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND LAW

aCADEMIC YEAR 2020/21

Assessment Brief – Portfolio – Element 1

Module Code: UJUUJU-30-2

Module Title: Public International Law      

Submission Deadline:

1

Assessment Component: A – Element 1

Assessment Weighting: 15 per cent of total module mark; The two best results count towards

N.B. all times are 24-hour clock, current local time (at time of submission) in the UK

Assessment Instructions

You are required to submit ALLTHREE sub-elements as part of Element 1 in Component A.

Sub-element 1: Write the introduction (see Workbook 1 for further instructions) to the following essay question:

• What is the general concept and what are the consequences of unilateral acts?

AND

Sub-element 2: Write a structure (see Workbook 2 for further instructions) to the following essay question:

• Do you agree, and if yes, to which extent, that, given the proliferation of non-State actors and the important role they play in international affairs, non-State actors should become subjects of international law.

AND

Sub-element 3: Produce a bibliography (see Workbook 3 for further instructions) to the following essay question:

• Critically examine the exercise of the active and passive personality jurisdiction by States and the consequences of adopting a wide interpretation of it.

You are required to:

1. write a 150-word introduction;
2. write a 600-word structure;
3. write a bibliography (no word limit).

Marking Criteria

The marking criteria are:

• your knowledge of the law;
• your knowledge and understanding of the relevant concepts;
• your ability to identify refer to relevant primary and secondary sources of law to support your statements;
• your ability to explain the law in a clear and structured manner.

Formative feedback and support during the module

Formative feedback is provided in the synchronous activities (orally and this is general feedback) as well as in the asynchronous activities (in writing and this can be specific or general feedback).

Further information about this assessment is available on the Blackboard site  for this module and includes the Module Handbook.

Formatting

All elements must be submitted on ATLAS by the relevant deadlines.

Further information about the submission on ATLAS is provided on Blackboard under the Tab ‘Assignments’ – ‘Semester 1’.

Word Limit

The word limit for this portfolio is:

• For sub-element 1: 150 words (maximum);
• For sub-element 2: 600 words (maximum);
• For sub-element 3: no word limit.
• 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.).

Referencing and Assessment Offences

Please ensure you adhere to the principles of good academic practice. In the blog posts, comments and replies this is done by using hyperlinks that refer to the materials (eg case-law, treaties, journal articles, blog posts, etc) supporting your statements. 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.

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 before the stated deadline by electronic submission through ATLAS.

For information on submission on ATLAS, please see the instructions on Blackboard under Assignments. Please remember not to make any changes to your submission after the deadline (even though the system allows you to do so) as any changes will count as late submission.

Late submission in the 24 hours following the deadline will be accepted but the assignment mark will be capped at a pass. Submissions after 24 hours will not be accepted. 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 you work thoroughly to ensure your work is presented appropriately
• You have addressed all the required elements of the assessment
• You have referenced in accordance with the guidance provided
• You have addressed each of the marking criterion
• The submission is in the correct format

Final feedback and marks release

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

Feedback and marks for Element 1 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 Academic Success Centre for bookable workshops
• Guidance on using UWE’s Library.

Specific study skills pages relating to this module include:

• How to plan and structure your writing
• Writing skills
• Further research skills / techniques
• How to write critically
• English language support

Moreover, in Workbook 1, Workbook 2 and Workbook 3 you will find further information on skills relating to each sub-element.

For further guidance on UWE assessment regulations and terminology see UWE’s Academic Advice 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 Student Support Pages.

The module leader cannot grant personal circumstances or extensions.