‘Disasters can disproportionately affect small island developing States, due to their unique and particular vulnerabilities. The effects of disasters, some of which have increased in intensity and have been exacerbated by climate change, impede their progress towards sustainable development’. Critically discuss this statement with reference to one or more examples.
Specific assessment criteria for the professional briefing paper:
• Writing the briefing paper in a succinct, clear, formal and professional style.
• Demonstrating a clear structure and logical progression of ideas.
• Adequately and appropriately addressing each of the specified elements that the briefing paper is required to include.
• Succinctly identifying, explaining and summarizing key information.
• Demonstrating an appreciation of any significant legal, political, social, economic, etc contextual issues, which could affect the advice given/recommendations made.
• Identifying relevant international law, including humanitarian relief principles, and explaining these in a manner comprehensible to a non-legal policy maker.
• Demonstrating evidence of independent research, eg to further explain, contextualise, the findings of the materials report.
Form of the essay:
• Text (including quotations) must be in Times New Roman 12 point font.
• Margins of at least 2 cm must be used at the top and bottom of the page, and 2.5 cm on the right and left sides of the page.
• Footnotes or endnotes must be included within the specified page allowance; each note must be no smaller than 10 point font and must start on a new line.
• A bibliography may be added: this does not count towards the specified page allowance. No other appendix may be attached.
• Pages should be numbered.
• The School of Law, like most Law Schools, uses the OSCOLA system The best guide to legal citation is OSCOLA (Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities).
