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Instructors: Marie-Therese Montana
Event type:
Lecture
Displayed in timetable as:
The Limits of Law
Hours per week:
2
Credits:
2,0
Language of instruction:
English
Min. | Max. participants:
5 | 20
Registration group: englische FS-Veranstaltungen
Comments/contents:
This is a course that introduces student to various elements of the debates on the limits of law. This is course on the intersection between legal theory, legal philosophy and comparative law. We will be discussing problems inherent in the law and how lawyers and legal scholars overcome them. We will be starting off with the idea of unjust law and its relation to the concept of law. Other topics include the legal moralism, the relationship between justice and legal certainty, the concept of equity in German and English law, the vagueness inherent in the law, legal paradoxes and similar issues. The curriculum leaves plenty of room to accommodate student suggestions and presentations.
Learning objectives:
Learning Objectives: (i) Students will achieve a foundational understanding of the limits of legal codification and the legal philosophy surrounding limits of the concept of law. (ii) Students will be familiar with core expressions and the central terminology used in these debates. They will also be able to defend their own and critique others’ positions using this core vocabulary.
Methods: The class is built on primary sources. Students will be assigned a specific article or book excerpt in groups of two. Students will, over the course of the semester, need to give a short 10-minute presentation on their topic to start off each session which will, then, be complemented with a lecture segment. Each session will display a heavy emphasis on class discussion, i.e. forming one’s own and critiquing others’ views on these issues.
Additional examination information:
“The certificate may only be acquired, if absence does not exceed 20%. “
The class generally requires an (active and passive) English level of B1/B2. However, there will be room to accommodate differing degrees to which students are comfortable to actively use English, taking language development between the first and last session into account. To obtain a proof of foreign language proficiency ("Fremdsprachennachweis") students will need to communicate a basic understanding of their assigned material and the lecture segments within their short presentation and within class discussions. Students will also be asked to provide one-paragraph responses to lecture discussions. Students who will not be able to give their presentation for unexpected reasons may substitute a 30-minute oral pop quiz at the end of the course.
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