Graduate Program

Amended Rules for the Degree of Master of Laws (General and Specialized) under Grading System

1. Name of the Programme

The name of the Programme shall be “Master of Laws (General and Specialized)”.

2. Admission

Only the successful students securing a CGPA of 2.50 or higher in the Bachelor of Laws

(Honours) Programme of the Department of Law, University of Dhaka shall be eligible to get admitted into the Master of Laws (General and Specialized) Programme.

3. Duration of the Program

The Master of Laws (General and Specialized) Programme shall be of one academic year.

4. Degrees Offered
   1. The Master of Laws (General and Specialized) Programme at the Department of Law

shall consist of the following two streams:

1. 1. 1. General Master of Laws; and
      2. Specialized Master of Laws.

1. 2. The Specialized Master of Laws Programme shall be:
      1. Master of Laws in International Law (INL)
      2. Master of Laws in Human Rights Law (HRL)
      3. Master of Laws in Comparative Law (CPL)
      4. Master of Laws in Commercial Law (CML)
      5. Master of Laws in International and Comparative Law (ICPL)
      6. Master of Laws in Gender in Law (GNL)
      7. Master of Laws in International Criminal Law (ICL)

5. Course Requirements

1. Students shall be required to collect a Courses Choice Form1 (hereinafter referred to as CCF) from the Department. While filling in the CCF, the students shall choose

any five of the courses offered by the Department.

2. The Department shall distribute CCFs from the class commencement date. Students will be notified the deadline of the CCF submission.
3. The Department shall publish the list of students and their assigned courses. At the same time, the Department will distribute Research Course Choice Forms2 (hereinafter referred to as RCCF) among the students.
4. Students shall have to submit a thesis in partial fulfillment for the Master of Laws (General and Specialized) degree. Students shall have to select a research course from the five courses they have chosen and for this purpose they will collect, fill in and submit RCCFs within the prescribed time. Provided that a student wishing to

obtain a Specialized Master of Laws degree must choose the research course from among the courses of his/her Specialized Subject Group.

5. The Department will publish the list of students and their assigned research courses within 5 weeks of class commencement date.
6. Every teacher willing to offer a Course in Master of Laws (General and Specialized) Programme shall submit at least two research topics corresponding to his/her course before commencement of classes.
7. Theses shall be submitted in three hard copies and two soft copies in formats prescribed by the Examination Committee. A Thesis must not exceed 20,000 words, and will normally be near that length. The word limit includes appendices but excludes footnotes, references and bibliography. Footnotes should not exceed 20% of the thesis.
8. Students shall have to appear in a viva voce at the end of the Final Examination.

6. List of Courses

The Master of Laws, be it general or specialized, shall comprise of the following courses.

However, the Academic Committee of the Department of Law shall decide as to the courses to be offered in any particular academic session. It may also decide to distribute the offered courses in groups where taking one or more courses from a particular group may bar a student to take any other course(s) from another group.

LLM 501: Law of the International Institutions LLM 502: International Law of Terrorism LLM 503: International Environmental Law LLM 504: International Law of the Sea

LLM 505: International Watercourses Law LLM 506: International Human Rights Law LLM 507: International Humanitarian Law

LLM 508: International Law on Refugees, Migrants and Stateless Persons LLM 509: Human Rights and Development

LLM 510: Comparative Human Rights Law LLM 511: Comparative Legal Systems LLM 512: Comparative Legal Theories LLM 513: Comparative Family Law

LLM 514: Comparative Constitutional Law LLM 515: Law of Corporate Finance

LLM 516: Banking Law

LLM 517: Intellectual Property Law

LLM 518: Law of International Commercial Arbitration LLM 519: Law of International Business Transactions LLM 520: Law of International Trade and the WTO LLM 521: Administrative Law

LLM 522: Principles of Civil Litigation LLM 523: Conflict of Laws

LLM 524: Principles of Criminal Litigation

LLM 525: Principles of Equity as Applied in Bangladesh through Codification LLM 526: Gender in General Law

LLM 527: Gender in Law and Society LLM 528: Gender and Family Law LLM 529: Feminist Legal Theory

LLM 530: Gender in Human Rights

LLM 531: Principles and Practices of Alternative Dispute Resolution LLM 532: Air and Space Law

LLM 533: Cyber Law

LLM 534: Law of Forensics and Scientific Evidence LLM 535: Law of Corporate Governance

LLM 536: Comparative Company Law LLM 537: International Investment Law

LLM 538: International Law of War Crimes, Genocide and Crimes against Humanity

LLM 539: Law of Transnational Crimes

LLM 540: Energy Law and Policy

LLM 541: International Law for Peace Building and Dispute Resolution. LLM 542: Law of International Relations, Politics and Diplomacy

LLM 543: Law of Regional Protection of Human Rights LLM 544: Biolaw: Law and Ethics in Life Sciences LLM 545: Law of Electronic Commerce

LLM 546: International Development Law LLM 547: Insurance Law

LLM 548: Criminology and Criminalistics

7. Choices of Courses for the Degree of General Master of Laws
   1. Students wishing to obtain a general Master of Laws degree shall have to select any

five of the courses offered.

1. 2. The students shall have to sign a CCF form within 2 (two) weeks from the date of the commencement of the classes indicating the courses chosen and his/her decision to pursue a General Master of Laws degree (CCF enclosed. Please see Appendix A)
2. Choices of Courses for the Degree of Specialized Master of Laws
   1. Students wishing to obtain a Specialized Master of Laws degree in International Law,

Human Rights Law, Comparative Law, Commercial Law, Gender in Law and International Criminal Law shall have to take a minimum of four courses from the relevant subject groups. The fifth course may be chosen by the students from the rest of the courses offered.

1. 2. Students wishing to obtain a Specialized Master of Laws degree in International and Comparative Law shall have to choose any five of the courses from the concerned subject group with a minimum of 2 (two) subjects from each list in that group.
   3. The students shall have to sign a CCF form within 2 (two) weeks from the date of the commencement of the classes indicating the courses chosen and his/her decision to pursue a Specialized Master of Laws degree (CCF enclosed. Please see Appendix A)

9. Subject Groups

Master of Laws in International Law

LLM 501: Law of the International Institutions

LLM 502: International Law of Terrorism LLM 503: International Environmental Law LLM 504: International Law of the Sea LLM 505: International Watercourses Law LLM 506: International Human Rights Law LLM 507: International Humanitarian Law

LLM 508: International Law on Refugees, Migrants and Stateless Persons LLM 509: Human Rights and Development

LLM 517: Intellectual Property Law

LLM 518: Law of International Commercial Arbitration LLM 519: Law of International Business Transactions LLM 520: Law of International Trade and the WTO LLM 522: Energy Law and Policy

LLM 523: Conflict of Laws

LLM 524: International Law for Peace Building and Dispute Resolution. LLM 525: Law of International Relations, Politics and Diplomacy

LLM 526: Law of Regional Protection of Human Rights LLM 532: Air and Space Law

LLM 536: International Investment Law

LLM 538: International Law of War Crimes, Genocide and Crimes against Humanity

LLM 539: Law of Transnational Crimes

LLM 541: International Law for Peace Building and Dispute Resolution. LLM 542: Law of International Relations, Politics and Diplomacy

LLM 543: Law of Regional Protection of Human Rights LLM 546: International Development Law

Master of Laws in Human Rights Law LLM 506: International Human Rights Law LLM 507: International Humanitarian Law

LLM 508: International Law on Refugees, Migrants and Stateless Persons LLM 509: Human Rights and Development

LLM 510: Comparative Human Rights Law LLM 530: Gender in Human Rights

LLM 543: Law of Regional Protection of Human Rights

Master of Laws in Comparative Law LLM 510: Comparative Human Rights Law LLM 511: Comparative Legal Systems LLM 512: Comparative Legal Theories LLM 513: Comparative Family Law

LLM 514: Comparative Constitutional Law LLM 536: Comparative Company Law

Master of Laws in Commercial Law LLM 515: Law of Corporate Finance LLM 516: Banking Law

LLM 517: Intellectual Property Law

LLM 518: Law of International Commercial Arbitration LLM 519: Law of International Business Transactions LLM 520: Law of International Trade and the WTO LLM 535: Law of Corporate Governance

LLM 536: Comparative Company Law LLM 537: International Investment Law LLM 545: Law of Electronic Commerce LLM 547: Insurance Law

Master of Laws in International and Comparative Law

In order to qualify for a Master of Laws degree in International and Comparative

Law, students shall have to take a minimum of 2 (two) subjects from List A and List B:

List A:

LLM 501: Law of the International Institutions

LLM 502: International Law of Terrorism LLM 503: International Environmental Law LLM 504: International Law of the Sea LLM 505: International Watercourses Law LLM 506: International Human Rights Law LLM 507: International Humanitarian Law

LLM 508: International Law on Refugees, Migrants and Stateless Persons LLM 509: Human Rights and Development

LLM 517: Intellectual Property Law

LLM 518: Law of International Commercial Arbitration LLM 519: Law of International Business Transactions LLM 520: Law of International Trade and the WTO LLM 522: Energy Law and Policy

LLM 523: Conflict of Laws

LLM 524: International Law for Peace Building and Dispute Resolution. LLM 525: Law of International Relations, Politics and Diplomacy

LLM 526: Law of Regional Protection of Human Rights LLM 532: Air and Space Law

LLM 536: International Investment Law

LLM 538: International Law of War Crimes, Genocide and Crimes against Humanity

LLM 539: Law of Transnational Crimes

LLM 541: International Law for Peace Building and Dispute Resolution. LLM 542: Law of International Relations, Politics and Diplomacy

LLM 543: Law of Regional Protection of Human Rights LLM 546: International Development Law

List B:

LLM 510: Comparative Human Rights Law LLM 511: Comparative Legal Systems LLM 512: Comparative Legal Theories LLM 513: Comparative Family Law

LLM 514: Comparative Constitutional Law LLM 536: Comparative Company Law

Master of Laws in Gender and Law LLM 526: Gender in General Law LLM 527: Gender in Law and Society LLM 528: Gender and Family Law LLM 529: Feminist Legal Theory LLM 530: Gender in Human Rights

Master of Laws in International Criminal Law

LLM 502: International Law of Terrorism

LLM 533: Cyber Law

LLM 534: Law of Forensics and Scientific Evidence

LLM 538: International Law of War Crimes, Genocide and Crimes against Humanity

LLM 539: Law of Transnational Crimes

LLM 548: Criminology and Criminalistics

Distribution of Courses and Research Courses

So far as practicable, the courses and research courses will be distributed among students on

an evenly basis. Students will be prioritized according to their CGPA earned in the latest published result (Bachelor of Laws, Third Year or Fourth Year Result).

10. Evaluation and Grading
    1. Evaluation and grading shall be determined on the basis of:
       • Tutorial examinations,
       • First and second term examinations, and
       • Year final examination.

1 term examinations (60 minutes)

1. 3. There shall be external and internal examiners for each course in the final examination.
   4. The term and tutorial examinations shall be evaluated by the course teacher. Tutorial examinations shall be conducted by the respective course teachers while the term examinations shall be conducted by the Department.
   5. All question papers shall be in English.
   6. In Final Examination students shall have to answer five questions out of eight questions for each course.
   7. Year final scripts shall be evaluated by two examiners appointed by the respective Examination Committees. If the difference between the internal and the external examiners is more than 20 percent, the script(s) in question shall be examined by a third examiner and the average of the nearest two marks will be taken.
   8. For each course, the average marks awarded by the year final examiners, and the marks awarded by the course teacher for the term and tutorial examinations, shall be totaled and converted into letter-grades following a 4-point grading scale presented below.3
2. Approved by the Academic Council of the University of Dhaka on 21.03.2006.

1. 1. Only those students who have attended 75% of the general lectures shall be eligible to sit for the final examination. Students who have attended 60%-74% of the general lectures shall be considered as non-collegiate and may be allowed to sit for the final examination provided they pay the prescribed fine. Students who have less than 60% class attendance shall be declared as discollegiate and shall not be permitted to sit for the final examination.
2. Research Methodology

The Department shall offer classes on research methodology for each year and each

student shall attend the classes. The attendance of the students in research methodology classes shall be taken into account in determining his/her eligibility to sit for the examination as per university collegiate rules.

12. Grading Structure in a 4-Point Grading Scale

13. Interpretation of the Grades
    1. ‘A+’, ‘A’ and ‘A-’ grades are indicative of overall ‘excellent’ performance by a student,

earning grade points of 4.0, 3.75, and 3.50, respectively.

1. 2. ‘B+’, ‘B’ and ‘B-’ grades are indicative of overall ‘very good’ performance by a student, earning grade points of 3.25, 3.00, and 2.75, respectively.
   3. ‘C+’, ‘C’ grades are indicative of overall ‘satisfactory’ performance by a student, earning grade points of 2.50, and 2.25, respectively.
   4. ‘D’ grade is indicative of minimally acceptable overall ‘passing performance’ by a student, earning a grade point of 2.00.
   5. ‘F’ grade is indicative of an unacceptable overall ‘failing’ performance by a student, i.e., failing to earn any credit point.
2. Computation of Grade Point Average

The Grade Point Average (GPA) shall be computed in the following manner:

Where, GPA = Grade Point Average

C = Credits assigned to a particular course EGP = Earned Grade Points

TCAP = Total Number of Credits Assigned to the Programme

The formula works through the following steps:

Step One:

Multiply the grade point earned by a student in a particular course by the number of credits

assigned to that particular course.

Step Two:

Sum the products obtained in step one.

Step Three:

Divide the summed product obtained in step two by the total number of credits assigned to that

particular year.

An example is presented below to illustrate the working of the formula for calculating the GPA for a student of Master of Laws (General and Specialized) with 4 courses, Thesis and Viva Voce:

We know that, GPA = å

(C ´ EGP) TCAP

By putting the necessary information into the formula, we get the GPA obtained by a student

GPA =(6 ´3.25) +(6 ´3.75) +(6 ´2.50) +(6 ´3.00) +(6 ´2.75) 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6

= 19.5 +22.5 + 15 + 18 + 16.5

30

= 91.5

30

= 3.05

15. Adoption of unfair means in examinations
    1. Students adopting unfair means in examinations shall be treated according to Dhaka

University rules.

1. 2. The examiners of theses shall take due care to detect plagiarism and if any case(s) of plagiarism is detected s/he shall make a report in a prescribed manner and shall send copies of the report to the Controller of the Examinations, Chairman of the Examination Committee and the Coordinator of the Master of Laws Programme.

1. 3. If plagiarism is detected during viva voce, the Examination Committee retains the right to report it on its own initiative.
2. Degree Requirements
   1. For the degree of Master of Laws (General and Specialized) a student shall have to

secure a minimum of GPA 2.50.

1. 2. S/he must complete the Programme within a maximum of two consecutive academic years including the year of first admission into the program.
   3. A student, earning an F grade in any course including the thesis and Viva Voce combined, shall not be eligible for Master of Laws (General and Specialized) Degree even if s/he secures a GPA of 2.50 or more. A student who has secured a GPA of 2.50 or more and has earned an F grade in only one course shall be eligible for improvement examination for that course only once with the immediate next batch.
   4. A student shall not be eligible to attend viva voce without submitting the thesis.
2. Readmission
   1. A student earning an F grade may seek readmission with the immediate batch.
   2. For readmission, a student shall have to apply within one month after the announcement of the results of the concerned batch.
   3. On readmission, grades earned earlier by a student in the class of readmission shall cease to exist and the student has to retake all the course works and examinations.
   4. A student shall not be allowed readmission more than once in the Master of Laws (General and Specialized) Programme.
3. Drop out

If a readmitted student earns an ‘F’ grade, s/he shall automatically be dropped out of the

Program.

19. Composition and Functions of the Examination Committee
    1. There shall be an Examination Committee for the Master of Laws Programme.
    2. The Examination Committee shall be composed of 5 (five) members of which the Chairman and 3 (three) members shall be from the Department and 1 (one) shall be from outside the University of Dhaka. The Coordinator of the Master of Laws Programme shall be an ex-officio member of the Examination Committee.
    3. The functions of the Examination Committee shall be to:

1. select the external question paper setters and external examiners for individual courses;
2. moderate the question papers;
3. moderate and select the topics for the theses;
4. conduct viva voce;
5. recommend the appointment of tabulators;
6. recommend a third examiner for a course from the Panel of Examiners provided that they are not the tabulators or members of the Examination Committee;
7. recommend the publication of the results prepared by the tabulators; and
8. amend and update the Declaration forms.
9. The Coordinator of the Master of Laws Programme
   1. There shall be a Coordinator for the Master of Law (General and Specialized)

Programme appointed by the Academic Committee from among the current teachers of the Department of Law not below the post of an Associate Professor.