SYLLABUS ON HUMAN RIGHTS

FACULTY : Atty. Anita Magbitang-Chauhan, Ph,D

Law Course No ________
FIRST SEMESTER SY 2016 -2017
Course Title : HUMAN RIGHTS LAW
Course Description :
This course provides a rich content on human rights systems of protection and promotion at the international ,
regional and national level with emphasis on the Philippine system. It starts with a clear understanding of the
normative content of human rights, its principles and classifications . Much discussion shall be focused on
applications of human rights in different fields of development and governance, business, environment . It also
covers discussions on rights of sectors and the international standards in the fields of enforcement of state
obligations and individual responsibilities for the continuing advocacy in curbing state impunity and human
rights violations . The law students shall be walked through hard and soft laws on human rights at the
international level and the means by which human rights are monitored as well as national human rights/ human
rights related laws.The students will be engaged in actual human rights advocacy and case law study on human
rights at the international and national levels.
II. Course Objectives
This course will enrich the minds and hearts of law students as it aims to do the following :
1. Familiarize the students on a broad and deep study of human rights and their enforcement at the international
and national levels;
2. Engage the students in meaningful participation in actual human rights work and advocacy.
3. Gain comprehensive knowledge and skills in human rights investigation and information and education
4. Develop a strong commitment to become a human rights defender and advocate.
III. COURSE CONTENT
CONTENT and
Modules

ACTIVITY

ASSIGNMENT

REFERENCE/
Materials

1. GENERAL
Group
Assignment :
Compile at least
one You
Tube/Scribd/
Other On Line
Video/ Power
Point
Presentation Per
Module in a CD
ROM
MODULE I
INTRODUCTION TO
HUMAN RIGHTS
1. History of
Human Rights

2. Definition and
Classification of
Human Rights
3. Characteristics
of Human Rights
4. Generation of
Human Rights

Viewing:
Story of
Human
Rights
Lecture
ppt No.1
and
discussion

PPT on the module

Introduction to Human
Rights by Atty. Anita
MChauhan

5. Principles of
Human Rights
6. Human Rights
Obligations
MODULE 2.
SYSTEMS OF
HUMAN RIGHTS
PROTECTION
A. Universal :
United Nations
System
1.UN Charter
2. UN Organs

3. Charter Based
System
3.1. Human
Rights Council
(HRC) and
Universal Periodic
Review (UPR)
3.2. HRC
Complaints
Procedure
3.3. Special
Procedures of the
HRC
4. Treaty Based
System
4.1.Core
International
Human Rights
Treaties
4.2. Ratification
Status and
Reservations by
the Philippine
State
4.3. Reporting
Status of the
Philippine State
4.4. Human
Rights Standards
under General
Comments of
Treaty Bodies
4.5.
Jurispundence on
Communications
brought before
Treaty Bodies
from the
Philippines

Group written
reporting

You Tube
viewing of
The UN
Treaty
Body
System
and
discussion
Lecture
ppt No.2
and
discussion
The UN
Charter
Based
System of
Human
Rights
Promotion
and
Protection

Lecture
ppt No.3
and
discussion
The UN
Treaty
Based
System of
Human
Rights
Promotion
and
Protection

Group
Assignment :
Prepare an oral
report and submit
a written one on a
complaint/commu
nication brought
before one of the
treaty bodies by
any complainant
whether
individual/institut
ional on

www.ohchr.com and
other human rights
websites and articles

violations
committed by
agents of the
Philippine State.
B. Regional :
1. European
System
2. Inter-American
System
3. African System
4. ASEAN Human
Rights Mechanism
5. Others
(Arabs,etc)

C. National Human
Rights Systems
1. National Human
Rights Institutions
(NHRIs)
2. The Philippine
Human Rights
System of Human
Rights Protection
and Promotion
3. The Philippine
Commission on
Human Rights
4. Human Rights
Violations
Investigation :
Procedures and
Standards
MODULE 3 :
HUMAN RIGHTS
OF SECTORS and
Human Rights
Laws for Their
Protection at the
International and
National Level
(Philippine Laws
as Focus)
1. Women
2. Children
3. Migrants
4.Persons with
Disabilities
5. Indigenous
People
6. Cultural
Minority
7. Internally
Displaced Persons
and Refugees
8. Human Rights
Defenders
9. Elderly
10. Prisoners and
Detainees

Lecture
ppt No.4
and
discussion
The
Regional
Systems of
Human
Rights
Promotion
and
Protection

Lecture
ppt No. 5
and
discussion
The
National
Systems of
Human
Rights
Promotion
and
Protection

(Philippine
Specific)

Group
Reporting
on
Selected
Sectors

WEBsites of Regional
Systems

Visit to CHR
Regional Office 3

PCHR Website

Group
Assignment and
Reporting:
Submit a List of
International
Treaties and Soft
laws
and
Philippine
Laws
that promote one
of
the
sectors
listed under this
module. Each law
should
be
described briefly
as to its salient
features
(substantive and
remedial content)

UN Fact Sheets
Websites of OHCR and
other HR websites
ILO, UNICEF,ICRC and
other specialized
international agencies;
Philippine law websites

11. Workers and

Laborers
12. Urban
Poor/Homeless
MODULE 4 HUMAN
RIGHTS
APPLICATIONS
1. The Human
Rights to
Development and
Governance Based
Approach
(HRBADG)
1.1. The Right To
Development
1.2. Principles of
HR Applied to
Development and
Governance
1.3. HRBA in
Planning and
Programming
2. Human
Rights ,Business
and Corporate
Social
Responsibility
(CSR)
3. Human Rights
and The Police
4. Human Rights
and the Military
5. Human Rights
and Judges,
Prosecutors and
Lawyers
6. Human Rights
and Politicians

Lecture
PPT NO. 6
and
Discussion
on
HRBADG

Round
Table
Discussion
on the
Topic :
Human
Rights and
Your
Sector

Group
Assignment : Five
groups of the
class will invite at
least five sectoral
representatives
to attend the
round table
discussion
presided by the
Professor and
participated in by
the NGO sector.

UNFPA HRBA Manual

HRBA in Google and
other search engines
Socorro Diokna s HRBA
Guide
2008 Ruggie Report on
Business and Human
Rights
[PDF]Human Rights
Standards and Practice
for the Police - ohchr
[PDF]Human Rights and
Law Enforcement - ohchr
[PDF]International
Human Rights Standards
for Law Enforcement ohchr
[PDF]independence and
impartiality of judges,
prosecutors and
lawyers ...
[PDF]international
human rights law and the
role of the legal ... ohchr
www.ohchr.org/document
s/publications/training9c
hapter1en.pdf
[PDF]Human Rights in the
Administration of Justice
A Facilitator's ... - ohchr
www.ohchr.org/Document
s/Publications/HRAdminis
trationJustice.pdf
A Manual on Human
Rights for Judges,
Prosecutors and Lawyers
hrlibrary.umn.edu/monito
ring/hradmin.html
Special Rapporteur on
the Independence of
Judges and Lawyers
www.ohchr.org OHCHR
English Your Human
Rights
Ms. Mnica Pinto, Special
Rapporteur on the
Independence of Judges
and Lawyers In 1994, the
Commission on Human
Rights, in resolution
1994/41, noting ...
[PDF]Human-rights law
and military operations
Human Rights and the

Military: Legal Rules JStor

[PDF]The Philippine
Corrections System:
Current Situation and
Issues
[PDF]A STUDY ON THE
EFFECTIVITY OF THE
PHILIPPINE PRISON

Standard Minimum Rules

for the Treatment of
Prisoners - ohchr
[PDF]A Human Rights
Approach to Prison
Management International ...
www.prisonstudies.org/si
tes/default/files/resource
s/.../handbook_2nd_ed_en
g_8.pdf
[PDF]Prison Incident
Management Handbook
https://www.un.org/.../Pri
son_Incident_Managemen
t_Handbook_OROLSI_Mar
2013
Business and Human
Rights :
1.The 2008 Ruggie Report: A
Framework for Business and
Human Rights
2. John Gerald Ruggie,
Business and Human Rights
The Evolving International
Agenda
3. UN Guiding Principles on
Business and Human Rights
4. Human Rights and
Responsible Business Practices
Frequently Asked Questions
5. A Guide for Business: How
to Develop a Human Rights
Policy
6. A Resource Guide to
Corporate Human Rights
Reporting

MODULE 5 HUMAN
RIGHTS ISSUES,
CHALLENGES AND
ADVOCACY
1. Human Rights
Education and
Advocacy
2. Human Rights
Treaty, Law and
Policy Compliance
and Enforcement
3. Human Rights

Class
Discussion
on the
topics of
the module

Group
Assignment :
ADVOCACY or
SURVEY
1. Conduct a
survey using
purposive
sampling on a
particular chosen
legal issue
approved by the
professor or
2. Organize a

Human Rights Tactics

New Tactics in Human
Rightshttp://www.newtactics.org

The Justiciability of Social

and Economic Rights: An
Updated Appraisal
Resource Page on Justiciability
of Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (ESCR)

JUSTICIABILITY OF
ECONOMIC SOCIAL AND
CULTURAL RIGHTS

Standards and
Justiciability

Human Rights
Education Forum
(HREF) targeting
a particular
sector on a theme
approved by the
professor within
the semester
3. Arrange and
conduct a radio
broadcast or
media conference
agreed upon
Period of
Undertaking : Any
day within the
Human Rights
Week Celebration

RELEVANT CASE LAW

Shivani Verma
How Is International
Human Rights Law
Enforced? Harold Hongju
Koh Yale Law School
Human Rights Enforcement
Mechanisms of the United
Nations

Human Rights and Law

Enforcement
HUMAN RIGHTS
ENFORCEMENT IN THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Douglas Donoho
The Growing Relevance
and Enforceability of
Corporate Human Rights
Responsibility
David Scheffer
The Key Human Rights
Challenge: Developing
Enforcement Mechanisms
Harvard Human Rights Journal,
Spring 2002
03/01/2002
by Terry Collingsworth
Harvard Human Rights Journal,
Spring 2002, p.183

CULMINATI
ON DAY
:Dec
10,2016
(Internatio
nal Human
Rights
Day)
Celebratio
n
IV. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
To pass this course, the student must be able to undertake the following :
1. COURSE EXAM.,..30%
2. Group Work and HR Research

.. 25%

3. Oral Presentation/Recitation..20%
4. ADVOCACY.. 25%
TOTAL100 %