UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, JAMAICA

SYLLABUS OUTLINE

COLLEGE/FACULTY: Faculty of the Built Environment

SCHOOL: School of Building & Land Management

COURSE OF STUDY: Real Estate Management & Valuation

MODULE TITLE: Introduction to Human Rights

LEVEL: 3

MODULE CODE: HUM3006

DURATION: 45 Hours (3 hours x 15 weeks)

CREDIT VALUE: Three (3)

PREREQUISITES: None

1.0 MODULE DESCRIPTION

The course is designed to expose participants to basic, general issues of human rights that
are relevant in present day Jamaica. Participants will examine the nature and history, the
international law and practice as well as the Jamaican law, policy and practice of human
rights

2.0 MODULE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of the course the participants should be able to:

- Understand the nature and content of human rights

- Understand the key historical, political, legal and moral influences that have shaped
the idea of 'human rights'
- Identify the major international declarations and conventions governing human rights
and the main rights outlined in them
- Outline the relationship between human rights and constitution all civil rights –
- Identify the fundamental human rights and freedoms set out by the Jamaican
constitution
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 - Explain the human rights provisions that specifically relate to the death penalty,
trafficking in persons, women, children, refugees, abortion, terrorism.

3.0 MODULE CONTENT

3.1 NATURE AND HISTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS:

• What are human rights?

• Where do they come from?
• What are their philosophical foundations and justifications?
• What is the relationship between human rights and humanitarian law?

3.2 MAJOR INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS AND

THE MAIN RIGHTS PROVIDED BY THEM

• United Nations Charter

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Rome Statute Establishing the International Criminal Court

3.3 REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS AND THE MAIN

RIGHTS PROVIDED BY THEM

• American Convention on Human Rights

• European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms
• African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights

3.4 THE FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS SET OUT

BY THE JAMAICAN CONSTITUTION

• Chapter III, The Jamaican Constitution

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 3.5 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

• United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its

Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons,
especially Women and Children
• The Child Care and Protection Act
• The Offences Against the Person ~Act

3.6 THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN

• The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against

Women
• The Employment (Equal Pay for Men and Women) Act
• The Domestic Violence Act

3.7 THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

• The Convention on the Rights of the Child

• The Child Care and Protection Act

3.8 REFUGEES

• Convention relating to the Status of Refugees

• The Protocol relating to Refugees

3.9 ABORTION

• The Jamaican Constitution

• The Offences Against the Person Act

3.10 TERRORISM

• The Terrorism Prevention Act

4.0 METHOD OF INSTRUCTION

The instruction method will be a combination of:

• Lectures
• Active discussions
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 • Oral presentations
• Case studies

5.0 EVALUATION

The course will be assessed by coursework only. Participants will be assessed as follows:

1. Classroom participation including written review of assigned readings - 20%

2. Presentation - 30%
3. Final paper - 50%

6.0 READING AND REFERENCES

The course material will consist of documents available on the internet, articles from journals and
photocopies provided.
The following texts are highly recommended for use as general references:

Vasciannie. Stephen, International Law and Selected Human Rights in Jamaica (2002)

Participants should also consult the books in the collection with 'JCS...' prefix in the library of the
University of Technology.

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS

• The United Nations Charter

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• The Convention on the Rights of the Child
• The Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
• The Convention Relating to Refugees
• The Protocol Relating to Refugees
• The Convention Against Genocide
• The Geneva Conventions

GENERAL WEB RESOURCES

• United Nations High Commission for Human Rights - www.unhchr.ch

• Human Rights Web - www.hrweb.org
• Human Rights Internet - ww.hri.ca
• Human and Constitutional Rights - www.hrcr.org
• Human Rights Watch - www.hrw.org
• Amnesty International - www.amnesty.org
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7.0 NAME/S OF SYLLABUS WRITER/S

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8.1 Date of Submission/Presentation:

……………………………………………………………………………….

8.2 Names of Syllabus Reviewer/s

………………………………………………………………………………

8.3 Date of Review

………………………………………………………………………………

9.0 APPROVAL

9.1 Name and Signature of PD

……………………………………………………………………..

9.2 Date of Approval

…………………………………………………………………….

9.3 Name and Signature of Head of School

…………………………………………………………………….

9.4 Date of Approval

……………………………………………………………………

9.5 College/Faculty Curriculum Committee

Name and Signature of Committee Chair

…………………………………………………………………..

9.6 Date of Approval

…………………………………………………………………….

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10.0 ACCEPTANCE BY OFFICE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING (OTL)

……………………………………………………………………

10.1 Date of Acceptance by OTL ……………………………..

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