Program Description

FL uniquely offers a high-level Doctor of Philosophy in Law (Ph.D.) Research Program for students, who aim to become successful and reputable professionals in different sectors regardless of legal professions.

The Ph.D. program in is a credit system composed of 13 courses, which are taught through three consecutive academic years for full-time students based on interactive, experiential and clinical legal education methods.

Year One comprises of 7 courses in which students will acquires knowledge, skills and values from the courses: Advanced Constitutional Law, Advanced International Law, Advanced Legal Research Methodology and Doctoral Dissertation Writing I and II, Advanced Business Law and Practice, Advanced Civil Law and Procedure and Advanced Criminal Law and Procedure.

Year Two comprises of 4 courses in which students will acquires knowledge, skills and values from the courses: Research Proposal Defense, National or International Publication I and II, and Public Presentation I (in Conference or Workshop).

Year Three comprises of 2 courses in which students will acquires knowledge, skills and values from the courses: Public Presentation II (Personal Workshop) and Doctoral Dissertation for graduation from the program.

Doctor of Philosophy in Law

(Research Program)

Course Description

LAW 711         Advanced Constitutional Law

This course will explore, at a deeper conceptual level than the basic constitutional law discussion, variety of current problems arising from application and interpretation of constitution to those problems. This course will provide students with opportunity to learn and discuss contemporary issues including fundamental rights, separation of powers and other constitutional principles which present particular challenges to constitutional lawyers, scholars and researchers and other practitioners. The methodology of comparative constitutional law and experience in comparing the leading constitutional traditions, the common law and the civil law systems will also be introduced. The comparison is conducted by reference to three key features of all constitutional arrangements: constitutional foundations (constitutions and constitutionalism); organization of power (separation of powers, parliamentary or presidential systems, unitary and federal states); and rights of citizens (models of rights protection; judicial review).

LAW 712         Advanced International Law

This advanced course will provide students opportunities to analyze issues in the application and interpretation of international law by looking at concrete cases in fields of international law such as treaty law, diplomatic and consular relations, maritime law, international aviation law, international space law, security of human rights, and law on military disputes. Students are thus equipped with the knowledge and ability to deal with problems arising in the fields of international law, including the customary rule of international law, general principles of law, responsibility of states for internationally  wrongful  acts,  reservations  to  treaties,  international  liability  for  injurious consequences arising out of acts not prohibited by international law, unilateral acts of states, diplomatic protection, legality of nuclear weapons, use of force in international relations, and international terrorism.

LAW 713        Advanced Legal Research Methodology and Doctoral Dissertation Writing I

This is an advanced course to legal research and writing where students will learn how to read and brief cases, how to read and analyze laws and regulations, identification of key facts and legal issues, how to cite legal sources, how to develop and write a research proposal, as well as how to write certain important legal documents. The course will focus on reading, analyzing and understanding both Cambodian legal sources and international legal sources, including international treaties and UN documents.  Examples  will  be  drawn  from  human  rights  law,  business  law  and  laws  regarding intellectual property rights. Students will also learn advanced research and writing strategies and at the same time will be able to build legal research and writing skills, academically and practically.

LAW 714         Advanced Legal Research Methodology and Doctoral Dissertation Writing II

This course follows on from the Advanced Legal Research Methodology and Doctoral Dissertation Writing I. It is an advanced course in research methodology designed to ensure students have the necessary research and writing skills to complete a rigorous and relevant final dissertation. The course focuses equally on the needs of those students wishing to prepare an in depth theoretical or applied dissertation. More in depth research methodology teaching and training will be provided along with more specific teaching on research project and dissertation planning, execution and writing in an academic context. Students will be supported in the development of viable and detailed research proposals and literature reviews, the foundation for their final dissertation.

LAW 715         Advanced Business Law and Practice

This course will first review the foundation of legal thinking and review the basic principles of the Cambodian legal and judicial systems and well Alternative Dispute Resolution System Students will learn about the different areas of business related laws such as Commercial Contract Law, Law on Business Organization and business transactions. Students will also be introduced to the relationship between  human  rights  and  business,  including  the  UN  guiding  principles  on  human  rights  and business (“the Ruggie Principles”).

LAW 716         Advanced Civil Law and Procedure

This course provides a problem-solving and result-oriented perspective on civil code and procedure as it relates to the practice and the substance of resolving legal disputes. This perspective will be explored through the in-depth consideration of selected issues existing under Civil Code and Code of Civil Procedure. The course will also examine some of the systemic problems in current procedure and practice, and recent developments designed to address them.

LAW 717         Advanced Criminal Law and Procedure

The course is designed to provide students with in-depth knowledge of national and international criminal law and criminal procedure. It will cover the historical development of the system and the rationale for individual responsibility; relevant theories, such as the principle of legality; institutions for enforcing and applying international criminal law with main focus on the international criminal court and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. Finally, it will discuss challenges faced by the international criminal tribunals.

LAW 719         Research Proposal Defense

Students are required to submit and defend their research proposals before a university committee. If passed, students will be qualified as “doctoral candidates” and start to conduct their doctoral research under the supervision of an advisory committee.

LAW 720         National or International Publication I

Under the supervision of their Major Professors, students are required to publish their work in any appropriate  national  or  international  review  or  journal  recognized  by  and  acceptable  to  the university. This is called “National or International Publication I.”

LAW 721         National or International Publication II

Under the supervision of their Major Professors, students are required to publish their work in any appropriate  national  or  international  review  or  journal  recognized  by  and  acceptable  to  the university. This is called “National or International Publication II.”

LAW 722         Public Presentation I ( in Conference or Workshop)

In order to enhance the quality of the research, students are encouraged to write their thesis and to seek opinions from researchers other than their major professors and other member of the Advisory Committee. As a Public Presentation I is a prerequisite for a Public Presentation II, this presentation must already have taken place by the time of the Public Presentation II. This presentation may be made in a conference or workshop on topics relevant to the student’s research topic. Students must consult with their major professors before doing the public presentation in such conference or workshop.

LAW 723        Public Presentation II (Personal Workshop)

In order to enhance the quality of the research, students are encouraged to write their thesis and to seek opinions from researchers other than their major professors and other member of the Advisory Committee. As a public presentation is a prerequisite for a defense for doctoral dissertation, this presentation must already have taken place by the time of the defense of the doctoral dissertation. This presentation must be initiated and organized by the students themselves following consultation with their major professors.

LAW 724         Dissertation

Students are required to submit their complete doctoral dissertation to the university. The complete doctoral dissertation must make a contribution towards decisions and discoveries regarding practical and theoretical problems in the related field. The complete doctoral dissertation must prove their originality, critical and independent  thinking,  appropriate  theoretical  and  logical  framework (rationale, organization and format), and with a thorough documentation. The complete doctoral dissertation will require an evaluation by a committee and an oral defense to be evaluated by an examination committee.