Face-to-face , first and second term, 30 hours of theory.

French.

The purpose of the course is the study of methods and techniques of legal research and writing. It enables the students to familiarise themselves with the fundamental tools (both computer and “paper” tools) of legal research and to learn how to use the main sources of law which are indispensable prerequisites to the achievement of any personal work in the field of law.

At the end of the course, the student must implement these research tools and demonstrate his ability to handle the main sources of law by drafting a synthesis work on a given subject. In concrete terms, to complete the work, the students must search, find, summarise and present in writing the status of the law in force on the given subject.

This implies mastering the different “means of access” to legislation, doctrine and jurisprudence, the capacity to effectively use the materials found and then to compare them in order to extract the substance serving as basis to the writing of a personal and original work.

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This course is concerned with the use of the main documentary sources of law, legislation, doctrine, jurisprudence, steps of legal research and writing.

The students should acquire the “reflexes” (in the libraries and in the computer room) as well as a working method to ultimately succeed in structuring and reproducing their subject in a clear and coherent manner.

From this point of view, we will focus on the legal vocabulary and on the rigour and precision requirements expected by the law, especially with regard to the continuous evolution that characterises it. The students should be able to present on a given subject, the sources of the existing law, both in their work and at the examination.

The course of legal methodology is marked out of 20 points.

Whether in first or second session, half of the points are attributed to a written work of six pages on a given topic, and the remaining half of the points to the oral examination.

In the second session, students present the oral examination. In addition, they have to complete the written work, unless they obtained a score equal to or higher than 5/10 for the written work in the first session. For their written work, students in second session will further the theme already approached in the first session, making improvements where necessary, of course.
Students who obtained the overall mark of 10/20 or higher for the legal methodology course in the first session should not retake the course in the second session, even if they have failed their written work.

- P. Vandernoot (sous la direction de), Guide des citations, références et abréviations juridiques, 5e éd., Bruxelles, Kluwer, 2010.

- J.-F. van Drooghenbroeck, F. Balot et G. Willems, Leçons de méthodologie juridique, Bruxelles, Larcier, 2009.

- A. de Theux, I. Kovalovszky et N. Bernard, Précis de méthodologie juridique. Les sources documentaires du droit, 2e éd., Bruxelles, Publ. F.U.S.L., 2000.

- E. Geerkens et al., Méthodologie juridique. Méthodologie de la recherche documentaire juridique, 4e éd., Bruxelles, Larcier, 2011.

- P. Delnoy, Éléments de méthodologie juridique. 1. Méthodologie de l'interprétation juridique. 2. Méthodologie de l'application du droit, 2e éd., Bruxelles, Larcier, 2006

Written support of the course: the syllabus (and its annexes).