08949 - Comparative Constitutional Law (M-Z)

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Forli
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in International relations and diplomatic affairs (cod. 8048)

Learning outcomes

The objective of the course of Comparative Constitutional Law is to provide students with the following basic knowledge of the comparative method in order to achieve both practical and theoretic purposes; the knowledge of the different systems of sources, of the organization of various forms of State and Government and of the diverse Constitutional Courts. According to the objective of the course, the student will in particular learn the regulation of the institutional structures, with special attention to the sources of law, to the evolution of the forms of State and Government and to the protection provided by the different Constitutional Courts. Furthermore the student will be able to apply the above-mentioned knowledge to European, international and institutional studies.

Course contents

The course is structured as follows:

1. Introduction to Comparative Constitutional Law

2. Classification of legal systems: the families

3. Constitution and Constitutionalism

4. The sources of law

5. The sources of civil law

6. The sources of common law

7.The Constitutional organization. Forms of State and forms of Government

8.Constitutional justice

Readings/Bibliography

FULL-TIME STUDENTS (in presence or on MS Teams)

L. Pegoraro, A. Rinella, Sistemi costituzionali, Giappichelli, 2020.

S. Bagni, M. Nicolini, G. Pavani, F. Rosa (a cura di), Materiali essenziali per un corso di Diritto costituzionale comparato, Filodiritto Editore, Bologna, 2016

One of the following texts MUST be chosen by the student to:

S. Bagni (a cura di), Dallo Stato del bienestarallo Stato del buen vivir.Innovazione e tradizione nel costituzionalismo latino-americano, Filodiritto Editore, Bologna, 2013

M. Nicolini, La giustizia costituzionale in Africa australe, Filodiritto, Bologna, 2015

G. Cordisco, Un Paese per tutti. Come il Brasile ha ridotto la povertà e promosso l'inclusione sociale: un'analisi del programma Bolsa Família, Filodiritto, 2016

L. Pegoraro, La Costituzione brasiliana del 1988 nella chiave di lettura dell'art. 1, Filodiritto, Bologna, 2015

D. Amirante, La democrazia dei superlativi, Napoli, ESI, 2019

A. Reposo, Storia e critica comparata della costituzione italiana, Bup, Bologna, 2012

P. Viola, Costituzionalismo autoctono. Pluralismo culturale e trapianti giuridici nel subcontinente indiano, B.U.P., Bologna, 2020

S. Bagni, S. Baldin, Latinoamérica. Viaggio nel costituzionalismo comparato dalla Patagonia al Río Grande, Giappichelli, 2021

OTHER STUDENTS (NON- FULL-TIME)

Required texts

L. Pegoraro, A. Rinella, Sistemi costituzionali comparati, Giappichelli, Torino, 2017 (pp. 1-640).

One of the following texts must be chosen by the student:

S. Bagni (a cura di), Dallo Stato del bienestarallo Stato del buen vivir.Innovazione e tradizione nel costituzionalismo latino-americano, Filodiritto Editore, Bologna, 2013

M. Nicolini, La giustizia costituzionale in Africa australe, Filodiritto, Bologna, 2015

G. Cordisco, Un Paese per tutti. Come il Brasile ha ridotto la povertà e promosso l'inclusione sociale: un'analisi del programma Bolsa Família, Filodiritto, 2016

L. Pegoraro, La Costituzione brasiliana del 1988 nella chiave di lettura dell'art. 1, Filodiritto, Bologna, 2015

D. Amirante, La democrazia dei superlativi, Napoli, ESI, 2019

A. Reposo, Storia e critica comparata della costituzione italiana, Bup, Bologna, 2012

P. Viola, Costituzionalismo autoctono. Pluralismo culturale e trapianti giuridici nel subcontinente indiano, B.U.P., Bologna, 2020

Recommended texts for the consultation of Constitutions or to support the study of different topics:

S. Bagni, M. Nicolini, G. Pavani, F. Rosa (a cura di), Materiali essenziali per un corso di Diritto costituzionale comparato, Filodiritto Editore, Bologna, 2016

About the Italian Constitution: L. Califano, (a cura di), Costituzione della Repubblica Italiana, Maggioli, Rimini, last edition; or A. Celotto (a cura di),Costituzione annotata della Repubblica Italiana, Zanichelli, Bologna, last edition.

About other Constitutions: G. Cerrina Feroni, T. E. Frosini e A. Torre (a cura di), Codice delle Costituzioni, Giappichelli, Torino, 2009.

L. Pegoraro (a cura di), Glossario di diritto pubblico comparato, Carocci, Roma, 2009

Teaching methods

The program will be entirely developed during the lectures. Other instruments, such as videos and projector, will be used by the Professor .

Some lectures will be dedicated to the thorough examination of fundamental aspects of Comparative Constitutional Law or to some Constitutional systems or they will deal with projects of reform. These lectures will be introduced by the Professor and presented by Italian or foreign experts.

Assessment methods

The exam for full-time students will consist of three mid-term exams and of a final oral exam, which will concern the part of the course not covered by the written examinations.

Written examination

During the course there will be three intermediate written tests about specific parts of the program; the aim of the these tests is to evaluate the level of knowledge of the topics explained during the lectures.

The intermediate examinations will consist in open questions and multiple choice questions. The evaluation of the questions is based mainly on the capacity of the student to summarize and to strictly focus on the answer of the question given.

The evaluation will be given out of 30 points: the sufficient mark is 18/30.

The time given is 50 minutes.

By the end of the lessons there will be a recovery test for students who wish to try to recover an insufficient test

Oral examination

All students will have to take an oral examination on the final part of the program not covered by the written tests.

If a student is absent during one intermediate test or the evaluation of one intermediate test is insufficient, that part will be added to the oral part of the exam. Both parts will be examined at the end of the course at the final oral exam.

Students who do not exceed 2 to 3 written intermediate exams, must take a double examination on the whole full-students' program, consisting of open questions and multiple choice questions (evaluated following the standards indicated above) and a subsequent oral examination, both by attending the entire program. The written test will be evaluated for the admission to the oral and the final evaluation. The two tests are held on the same day and in the same place, so that the enrollment for the first examination includes also the enrollment for the second.

The same rule is applied to FULL-TIME students who have attended the lectures but do NOT take the intermediate exams.

The oral test is strictly complementary to the written tests and it is considered as a functional verification of the overall preparation of the candidate, but also as a tool to examine deeply the understanding of the contents of the syllabus. Therefore it is an important verification that concerns the whole program done.

The final mark is determined by the marks of the intermediate tests and the oral test, which must all be sufficient.

The results of the intermediate examinations and the status of full-time student will be considered valid until September. Therefore after September students are considered non-full-time students.

The exam for non-full-time students will consist in a written examination composed by open question and multiple choice questions and a subsequent oral examination. The written test will be evaluated for the admission to the oral and the final evaluation. The two exams will be held on the same day and in the same place, so that the enrollment for the first examination includes also the enrollment for second.

During the winter session (January and February) students can take the exam just once: if they do not pass the exam on that date or they do not accept the grade, the exam can be taken again but only in September, which is the last opportunity to maintain the validity of the written tests.

Students in debt exam the A.A. previous:

ATTENDING: The exam for students attending the debt A.A. above, will consist of a written test and an oral test according to the procedures and criteria set for students attending the A.A. in progress. Thus the student who declares attending will support the examination also on the parts of the program explained in class and not in the manual.
NOT- ATTENDING: The exam for students in debt NOT attending will follow the same procedures and the same criteria set out above for students NOT attending the AA ongoing.


Teaching tools

slides, video

Office hours

See the website of Giorgia Pavani

SDGs

Quality education Reduced inequalities Sustainable cities Peace, justice and strong institutions

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.