JD students start intensive course in Geneva
25 Melbourne JD students have completed their first of two intensive weeks in Geneva, Switzerland, as part of the elective subject Institutions in International Law, which Melbourne Law School Professors Andrew D Mitchell, Bruce Oswald CSC and Tania Voon have been running successfully together each year since 2007.
Students gather outside the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva. Image: supplied.
In order to investigate public international law in practice, the class has met with experts on site at the Association for the Prevention of Torture, the Australian Permanent Mission, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization, and the World Trade Organization.
The group has also held vigorous discussions with representatives of the Advisory Centre on WTO Law, the Convention against Torture Initiative, Geneva Call, the Human Rights Committee, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Overseas Development Institute, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the University of Geneva, and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, as well as His Honour Judge Stuart G Durward SC of the District Court of Queensland.
Students hike up Mont Salève in France. Image: supplied.
While engaging closely with a range of individuals working as lawyers and in related fields, students have also had a chance to enjoy the Geneva summer and local delicacies. The week ended with a challenging walk up Mont Salève in nearby France and a long cycle by Lac Léman!