Short Courses and Training
The Human Rights Law Centre has established an international reputation in providing residential short courses, bespoke training and capacity building programmes and a summer school, covering a breadth of contemporary issues and practices in human rights law and international criminal law at the national, regional and international level.
Established in 1997, over 2,000 representatives from governments, judiciary, human rights defenders, NGO and IGO staff, legal professionals, students and academics have taken part in our programmes, which we have delivered in the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Through our bespoke training activities, we can design and deliver tailormade training and capacity building on relevant issues of human rights law and criminal law to meet the individual needs of our recipient partners. HRLC has a wide range of national and international clients, including judiciary, government representatives, staff of international and non-governmental organizations, General Attorney Offices and UN field missions.
Chevening Fellowship Programme
HRLC hosts the prestigious annual UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Chevening Fellowship programme, Implementing Human Rights Conventions, for senior professionals from around the world. The course provides Fellows with an in-depth understanding of international human rights law standards and systems and their implementation at the national level, through seminars and study visits to relevant key institutions in Geneva and the UK.
Human Rights Defenders Fellowships
From September 2008 to March 2009, HRLC initiated a pilot scheme to host human rights defenders by providing scholarships for participation in the Short Course on International Human Rights Law .
The fellowships aimed to enhance the knowledge and capacities of human rights defenders/at-risk scholars.
This three-month course is designed to give an in-depth understanding of human rights standards across the world through seminars, guest lectures, workshops, visits, tutorials and conferences. It provides valuable insight and contextual knowledge of the practical operation of human rights law for those interested in human rights protection, from NGOs, international organisations, government, judiciary, police, charity or legal professions, academia, media and business.
This course is designed to give an in-depth understanding of international human rights standards and of the UN and regional systems that implement them. It has both theoretical and practical dimensions, with an emphasis on current issues.
The course is aimed at those for whom knowledge of the increasingly important subject of international human rights law is of value in their work, or who wish to embark upon a career in human rights. It is particularly intended for those who cannot find the time to take a full-time residential course, such as the three-month course that the Centre offers (see above).
This three-month course is designed as advanced study for criminal justice professionals involved in the development or implementation of criminal justice policy, including police officers, prosecutors, defence legal representatives, government officials and administrators. It is also open to graduates in law, criminology or a related discipline.
The Summer School is a unique, expert-led programme aimed at people working on human rights monitoring and reporting in government, national human rights institutions, NGOs, UN, legal professions and academics. Delivered by presentations and facilitated through interactive group discussions, case studies and development exercises, the programme provides a small group with the knowledge, skills and insight of effective human rights monitoring and reporting.
Other Relevant Programmes
The School of Law offers a range of taught and research-led postgraduate programmes, with many modules taught by HRLC members. Postgraduate students interested in human rights issues are actively encouraged to work with HRLC. Each Spring, two students from the European Master's Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation join the student body in Nottingham, taking LL.M programmes and engaging with HRLC activities and programmes.