Course Overview

The goal of this course is simple: to widen your field of perception
of Law.

When one lives in a country, when one has lived only in one country,
one tends to think that the Law, or the perception of what it is, is
the same everywhere in the world. Nothing could be further from the
truth. Not only the rules are not the same everywhere in the world,
but the very nature of the Rule of Law (how the rule is born, what
form the rule takes, how the rule is drafted, to whom this rule
applies, what value the rule must have, etc.) is not the same
everywhere. Therefore, this course is an invitation to an open-minded
legal mindset in order to apprehend the diversity of Law in the world.

Learning Achievement

Competence

Course prerequisites

Basic English listening, reading and writing skills

Grading Philosophy

Final multiple choice questionnaire (30 minutes) at the end of each
semester

Course schedule

This course is designed for the long run. As it is an optional course
over the two semesters, the contents were split into 2 different
blocks of knowledge but also and above all into 2 different approaches
to Foreign Law.

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The first block (which will correspond to the 1st semester) will be
more methodological, and will approach Foreign Law from a macroscopic
point of view. During the 1st semester we will deal with large sets of
Legal Systems and I will insist on the various precautions that should
be taken before approaching Foreign Law.

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The second block (which will take place in the 2nd semester) will be
more concrete and will aim at presenting Foreign Laws from a
microscopic point of view. During the second semester we will study in
depth a specific institution of legal Concept and see how it is
defined, framed and implemented in different national legal systems.
In order to do so I have selected 4 legal notions or institutions,and
will let the students choose 3 out of the 4 proposed:

1/ The vote (the electoral rules): what value does the vote have, who
has the right to vote, what are the applicable rules (null vote, blank
vote), what are the prohibitions, etc.?

2/ Nationality: what are the applicable rules for obtaining
nationality? What are the rights that result from obtaining this
nationality (in terms of access to jobs, voting, etc.)? Can this
nationality be lost?

3/ The death penalty: in which countries is it authorized? Under what
modality and for what types of crimes or misdemeanors? Which countries
prohibit it? Under what conditions?

4/ Emergency regimes: what are the different types of emergency
regimes that exist? What are their characteristics? What are the
powers conferred under these regimes of exception?

Course type

Lectures

Online Course Requirement

Instructor

Other information

Even though this course lasts the whole academic year, students may
choose to follow this course for only one semester

Duration: 10.5 hours Fall semester (October – November) - 10.5 hours Spring semester (February – April)

Language of instruction: English
Mode of delivery: Face-to-face teaching

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