Institute of Air and Space LawCourse Outline

McGill University Fall 2014

PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL AIR LAW

Term I - (3 credits)

Instructor: Prof. Paul Stephen Dempsey

COURSE DESCRIPTION Course No: ASPL 633

The course in Public International Air Law examines the relevant principles and rules of international law that affect the use of air space and aeronautics. The following topics are reviewed:

  • Public international law : jurisdiction over persons, territory and airspace, law of treaties, settlement of international disputes, incidents of statehood, law of international organisations;
  • sources of international air law;
  • the relevant international aviation organizations and their law-making functions;
  • the law-making institutions and processes affecting the regime of air space and international air navigational and air transport;
  • the legal regime of the national and international air space;
  • the international standards and recommended practices and domestic laws regulating safety, security, air navigation, airports, and the environment;
  • aircraft accident investigation;
  • theconcept of civil and state aircraft;
  • State certification and licensing of aircraft and airmen under international standards;
  • the exchange of air traffic rights; and
  • dispute resolution.

Method of Evaluation: Optional essay (20%) and 80% or 100% final 24-hour take-home examination. The optional 20% will be based on the student’s performance in on a written 10-12 page essaycomparing, contrasting and analyzing material discussed in the text with material outside the assigned text. Examinations and papers shall be double spaced with 12 point font for the text, and 10 point font for the footnotes, with one-inch margins per page. The optional essay shall be due on the last scheduled day of class. Late-submitted essays will not be accepted. Students shall have 24-hours from the time they pick up the examination to complete and submit it.

Professor Information: 3690 Peel Street, Suite 203; Tel. 514-398-8370; Email:

Office hours:open door; or contact Ms. Maria D’Amico at or 514 398-5095 to arrange for a meeting at mutually convenient day and time. Also, do not hesitate to contact the Professor via e-mail or after class.

Visiting Lecturers: Several visitors have been invited to the class. The dates of their presentations will be announced during the Semester

TEXT:

READINGS. Students are requested to purchase copies of

Dempsey, P., Public International Air Law, McGill 2008

and the requisite basic documents volume of the

Annals of Air and Space Law, vol. XXX No. 1 (2005)

from Maria D’Amico at the IASL Secretariat office, at 3690 Peel St, suite 204. Required readings will all be from these two volumes.

SUPPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Banner, S., Who Owns the Sky? 2008

Bartsch, R., Aviation Law in Australia, Thompson Reuters 4th ed. 2013

Birnie, P. & Boyle, A., International Law and the Environment, 1993

Brownlie, I., Principles of Public International Law, 4th ed., 1990

Buergenthal, T., Law-making in the International Civil Aviation Organization, 1969

Cartou, L., Droit aérien, 1963

Cheng, B., Law of International Air Transport, 1977

Cooper, J.C., Explorations in Aerospace Law, (I.A. Vlasic, ed.), 1968

--- The Right to Fly, 1947.

de Coninck, F., European Air Law: New Skies for Europe, 1993

Dempsey, P.S., Hardaway, R. & Thoms, W., Aviation Law & Regulation (two volumes), 1993

Dempsey, P.S., Law and Foreign Policy in International Aviation, 1987

Dempsey, P., Janda, R., Nyampong, Y., Saba, J. & Wilson, J. “Governance of Commercialized Air Navigation Services”, XXXI Annals of Air & Space Law 213-347 (2006)

Dempsey, P. "The Role of the International Civil Aviation Organization on Deregulation, Discrimination & Dispute Resolution" 52 Journal of Air Law & Commerce 529-83 (1987)

Diederiks-Verschoor, I., An Introduction to Air Law, 3rd rev. ed., 1988

Folliot, M.G., Les relations aériennes internationales, 1985

Gesell, L. & Dempsey, P., Aviation and the Law, Coast Aire 2005, ch. 20

Giemulla, E. & Schmid, R., European Air Law (Loose-leaf), 1992

Giemulla,E., Weber,L.,International and EU Aviation Law: Selected Issues

Havel, B., Beyond Open Skies: A New Regime for International Aviation, 2009

Havel, B. & Sanchez, G., The Principles and Practice of International Aviation Law, Cambridge 2014

Heere, W.P., International Bibliography in Air Law 1900-1971, 1972

Honig, J.P., The Legal Status of Aircraft, 1956

Juglart, M., Traité de Droit aérien, 2nd ed., 1989, v. I, 1992, v. II (by E. du Pontavice, J. Dutheil de la Rochère & G. Miller)

Lissitzyn, O., International Air Transport and Policy 1942

Loewenstein, A., European Air Law: Towards a New System of International Air Transport Regulation, 1991

Matte, N.M., Treatise on Air-Aeronautical Law, 1981

McGill Centre for Research in Air and Space Law, Legal, Economic and Socio-Political Implications of Canadian Air Transport, 1980

McWhinney, E., Aerial Piracy and International Terrorism, 1987

Mendes de Leon, P., Air Transport Law and Policy in the 1990s, 1991;

-----Cabotage in Air Transport Regulation, 1992.

Milde, M., International Air Law and ICAO, 2008

Naveau, J., International Air Transport in a Changing World, 1989

Park, Ki-Gab, La Protection de la Souveraineté aérienne, 1991

Peng, M.-M., Le statut juridique d'aéronef militaire, 1957

Pharand, D., Canada's Arctic Waters in International Law, 1988

Sampson, A., Empires of the Sky: The Politics, Contests and Cartels of World Airlines1984 Shawcross, C.N. & Beaumont, K.M., Air Law, 4th ed., 1985

Sochor, E., The Politics of International Aviation, 1991

Starke, J.G., Introduction to International Law, 11th ed., 1994

Weber, L., The International Civil Aviation Organization, 2011

Weber, L., International Organizations, in International and EU Aviation Law, Wolters Kluwer 2011

Zylicz, M., International Air Transport Law, 1992

Additional reading material will be recommended during the lectures on specific subjects.

Page 1 of 3

MCGILL POLICY STATEMENTS

1."McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore, all students must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures (see for more information). (approved by Senate on 29 January 2003)

2.“In accord with McGill University’s Charter of Students’ Rights, students in this course have the right to submit in English or in French any written work that is to be graded.” (approved by Senate on 21 January 2009 - see also the section in this document on Assignments and evaluation.)

3.Use of Text-matching software: "Instructors who may adopt the use of text-matching software to verify the originality of students' written course work must register for use of the software with the ICS Service Desk ( and must inform their students before the drop/add deadline, in writing, of the use of text-matching software in a course." (approved by Senate on 1 December 2004).