Saint-Louis University - Bruxelles
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POLS1120 - Public Law


[2 Q. • 30 Th. • 3 ECTS - credits]


Lecturer : Rigaux Marie-Françoise
Language of instruction : The course is taught in French. Some documents written in Dutch can be handed out.
Learning outcomes : The course is a rigorous and critical introduction to constitutional law (infra). Without however overlooking its technical nature, this introduction is suited for the students in political sciences, history and sociology as well as for economists and management engineers who follow it. This interdisciplinary perspective that is inherent to the composition of the audience is very fruitful.
It should be noted that, due to a change in the bachelor's programme in political science, from now on the course will be taught in first year. As a transitional measure, students enrolled this year in the second year, who did not completed the course last year, as it was taught in the second year, will also have to complete the course this year.
Prerequisites : The two introductory courses in law (1st and 2nd semester) of first year of bachelor for the second year students; the introductory course to law (1st semester) for first year students.
Course contents : Although the name “Public Law” includes numerous branches of law, the course will principally deal with Constitutional Law. The course begin thus with a presentation of constitutional law (its object, its methods, its interdisciplinary character).
A second lesson is then dedicated to the study of the specific features of the Constitution (its usefulness, its drafting, its revision). This part of the course also studies some elements of comparative law.
Nevertheless, constitutional law also concerns individuals. As such, this discipline traditionally includes nationality law and legal problems regarding the status of immigrants. These issues will be the topic of the third lesson.
The last lesson will be devoted to the issue of civil liberties and human rights, which is the occasion to introduce students to the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.
Mode of delivery : The course is taught as a “lecture”, however the participation of students is expected and occurs spontaneously. Students will have guessed that the major themes will be presented in the form of “lessons”, which will of course be longer than the two hour session period. The syllabus provided by the teacher also contains, for each lesson, some additional readings compulsory for students, in addition to the lecture.
Assessment methods and criteria : The assessment is a written examination. Students are assessed on the subject matter that has been taught during the lectures and on the texts contained in the syllabus.
One of the exam questions relates to the commentary of a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights taken from the syllabus or strongly connected to the course. The other questions concern the subject matter taught during classes in relation to the texts included in the syllabus that students should have thus read and understood.
Recommended or required reading : The syllabus contains a selective bibliography.
Other information : A syllabus is available for students at the beginning of the semester. In addition to the selective bibliography, it also contains the outline of each lesson. This outline is followed by various texts that complete, contradict or illustrate the subject matter of the lesson under examination. These texts have to be read and understood. Students can have the useful texts with them the day of the examination, but they must have assimilated the content beforehand. Finally, the economic Code purchased in first bachelor is the essential normative tool that students must use during all the semester and at the examination.