70342 - Constitutional Law

Learning outcomes

The course focuses on the analysis of the Italian Constitution. The understanding of the constitutional text and its implications involves the studying of: basic notions of the general theory of law, fundamental constitutional principles, sources of law, human rights, constitutional powers, individual rights in the judicial process, local and regional governments, relations between the Italian law system and the European/International legal systems.

In particular, sources of law and theory of  normative acts and normative facts will be deeply analyzed throughout the classes, giving special attention to the conflicts among constitutional powers and the judicial review of the legislation.  Learning constitutional law and the constitutional approach represents the formative basis for all the other law courses and political studies.

Course contents

1. Legal systems and constitutional law. - 2. The State. - 3. The State and the other legal systems. Constitutional law and International law. - 4. Constitutional law and the EU Law. - 5. Sources of law. - 5.1 Theoretical aspects. - 5.2 Sources' rules of production and enactment. - 5.3 The legal source system. - 5.4 The normative acts. - 5.5 The Constitution. - 5.6 Legislative statutes. - 5.7 European sources. - 5.8 Delegated legislation. - 5.9 The regional legal sources. - 5.10 Executive acts. - 5.11 The normative facts. - 6. Fundamental rights. - 7. The organization of political powers. - 8. Ballots, referenda and other forms of direct democracy. - 9. The Parliament. - 9.1 The origins of the first parliaments. - 9.2 The bicameral governments. - 9.3 Organizations and procedures. 9.4 The functions. - 9.5 The power of dissolution. - 10. The Head of the State. - 11. The Government . - 12. The regional and local government. - 13. The public administration. - 14. The individual rights and the judicial process. - 15. The judicial review. - 16. The Italian legal system and its evolution.

 

Readings/Bibliography

The exam is based on the following texts:

1) A. Barbera, C. Fusaro, Corso di diritto costituzionale, Bologna, il Mulino, 2014;
2) F. Sorrentino, Le fonti del diritto italiano, Padova, Cedam, 2015;
3) A. Barbera, I Parlamenti. Un'analisi comparativa, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012;
4) 15 Constitutional Court decisions (3 for each chapter) taken from A. Morrone, Il diritto costituzionale nella giurisprudenza, Padova, Cedam, 2014.

Collecting law texts
To better prepare for the exam, students may consult a public law code.

For example:

1) M. Bassani, G. Bottino, M. Della Torre, V. Italia, G. Ruggeri, A. Zucchetti (a cura di), Leggi fondamentali del diritto pubblico e costituzionale, Milano, Giuffrè, 2014;
2) L. Califano, M. Rubechi (a cura di), Guida ragionata alla Costituzione italiana, Rimini, Maggioli, 2013;
3) A. Celotto (a cura di), Costituzione annotata della Repubblica italiana, Bologna, Zanichelli, 2012;
4) P. Costanzo (a cura di), Testi normativi per lo studio del diritto costituzionale italiano ed europeo, Torino, Giappichelli, 2013;
5) L. Mezzetti, M. Belletti (a cura di), Codice costituzionale, Torino, Giappichelli, 2012.

For the comparative public law and EU law sections, students may refer to: A. Morrone (a cura di), Costituzioni e diritto europeo, Napoli, Editoriale Scientifica, 2014; G. Cerrina Feroni, A. Torre, T.E. Frosini (a cura di), Codice delle costituzioni, Torino, Giappichelli, 2009, volume I; E. Palici di Suni Prat, F. Cassella, M. Comba (a cura di), Le costituzioni dei paesi dell'Unione Europea, Padova, Cedam, 2001; P. Biscaretti di Ruffia (a cura di), Le costituzioni di dieci stati di democrazia stabilizzata, Milano, Giuffrè, 1994, volume I; Id., Le costituzioni di sette stati di recente ristrutturazione, Milano, Giuffrè, 1996, volume II.

Teaching methods

Class Timetable

Students will show their attendance to classes by signing a list.

Assessment methods

Final Exam
Final exam consists of a written part and a general oral exam. The written part consists of a short essay, while the oral part is led by the professor and his assistants. In order to be allowed to sit for the oral exam, it is not required to pass the written part.

Students will have one hour to complete the essay. The written exam will take place the same day of the general exam, as scheduled in the exam session, after the identification of the registered students and just before the oral part. During the written exam student are allowed to use a plain text of the Constitution (not annotated).

The final grade will consider the results of each part of the exam.

Final Thesis
The thesis topic is given after a talk with the Professor, who will mark the topic and the student name in the Thesis Book. The time and date for the assignment of the thesis will be established by the Professors at the beginning of the course. The editing modalities will be fixed in accordance with the Professors. The final thesis will be delivered to the Professor one month before the delivery to the administration office.

For editing the thesis students may read the following thesis guide:
T.F. Giupponi, A. Morrone, D. Tega, La tesi di laurea in scienze giuridiche, Libreria Bonomo Editrice, Bologna, 2002 (the book can be foud at Bonomo bookstore, Via Zamboni 26/a, Bologna).

Note for Socrates/Erasmus students
Incoming students - Socrates/Erasmus students are required to study only the textbook A. Barbera, C. Fusaro, Corso di diritto costituzionale, Bologna, il Mulino, 2014. The exam will consist of an oral examination.

 

Teaching tools

During the course the Professor will set a seminars schedule to elaborate on the main course topics. Moreover, a learning support will be set at the very beginning of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Tomaso Francesco Giupponi