00222 - Constitutional Law

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has an understanding of the essential lines of the constitutional organization of the state, with specific reference to the composition, powers, and the interactions of the constitutional organs, and to the principles governing the system of sources of law and fundamental rights. The student will accrue skills of legal terminology and understanding / interpretation of legislation and case law, preparatory to most of the later teachings. The course aims also to develop skills of analysis and classification of subjective legal situations that characterize the relationship between individuals and institutions.

Course contents

The legal system and constitutional law. The state. The international legal order. The sources of law: general concepts. The sources of law: the individual sources. Protection of the rights. The rights and duties. The forms of government. Popular sovereignty. Parliament. The President of the Republic. the Government of the Republic. The judicial system. Constitutional justice

Readings/Bibliography

A. Barbera - C. Fusaro, Corso di diritto pubblico, Bologna, il Mulino, 2018 (with the exception of chapters IV, XIII e XVI; in chapter XII read only paragraphs from 1 to 5; the paragraphs eventually detailed in the notices on the teacher's webpage will be also excluded).

Reading of legislation and decisions of Constitutional Court could be useful tools for studying. See the websites www.normattiva.it e www.cortecostituzionale.it

For those wishing to consult an up-to-date collection of public law laws, see 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, 2017;
2) A. Celotto (a cura di), Costituzione annotata della Repubblica italiana, Bologna, Zanichelli, 2018;
3) P. Costanzo (a cura di), Testi normativi per lo studio del diritto costituzionale italiano ed europeo, vol. I, Profili organizzativi, Torino, Giappichelli, 2017; vol. II, Situazioni soggettive, Torino, Giappichelli, 2016;
4) A. Mattioni (a cura di), Codice costituzionale, Piacenza, La Tribuna, 2017.
5) L. Mezzetti (a cura di), Codice di diritto pubblico, Torino, Giappichelli, 2018.

For an updated comment on the Constitution, see F. Clementi, L. Cuocolo, F. Rosa, G.E. Vigevani (a cura di), La Costituzione italiana. Commento articolo per articolo, Bologna, il Mulino, 2017, volumi I e II.

Teaching methods

The course will be conducted through lectures

Assessment methods

The final exam will consists of a written test, on a topic of the program, followed by an oral test. The oral examination, through questions on different themes of the program, will be aimed at testing the achievement of learning objectives (ex. knowledge of the constitutional organization of the state, the system of sources of law) and the acquisition of an appropriate legal terminology preparatory to subsequent teachings. The negative evaluation of the written test does not affect access to the oral exam

Attending students will have access to an interim test that will take place in December at the end of the lessons. Details will be shown during the lessons

Teaching tools

Students can use Aulaweb, the service associated to the textbook, through the page www.mulino.it/AulaWeb. The space is dedicated to the study and teaching; in it are available insights, questions for review, summary diagrams, online tutors, etc..

Students in any case can ask the professor questions during office hours. The professor is also contactable via email at chiara.bologna@unibo.it

There are also, as a possible means for the study, the following websites:

Specialized Search Engines:

Cicerone: www.diritto.it / cicerone.html;

Normattiva (the portal to current regulations): www.normattiva.it / static / index.html;

Diritto e diritti: www.diritto.it/ #

Infoleges: http://www.infoleges.it/

Italy

Italian Constitution: http://www.cortecostituzionale.it/documenti/download/pdf/Costituzione_della_Repubblica_italiana.pdf ;

Italian Constitutional Court: www.cortecostituzionale.it (or alternatively consult the texts of the decisions in the site www.giurcost.org);

Italian Parliament: www.parlamento.it ;

House of Representatives: www.camera.it ; Senate: www.senato.it;

Presidency of the Republic: www.quirinale.it ; Italian government www.governo.it;

Superior Council of Judiciary: www.csm.it

European Union:

Europe (the portal of the European Union): http://europa.eu/index_it.htm;

The treaties: http://europa.eu/abc/treaties/index_it.htm;

Institutions: http://europa.eu/about-eu/institutions-bodies/index_it.htm;

Court of Justice and other courts: http://curia.europa.eu/ ;

Eurlex (the right of the EU): http://eur-lex.europa.eu/it/index.htm

International organizations:

UN: www.un.org/;

Council of Europe: www.coe.int / lportal / web / coe-portal;

European Court of Human Rights: www.echr.coe.int/echr/ (the texts of the decisions are available in English and / or French);

Nato: www.nato.int / cps / en / natolive / index.htm

Foreign constitutional texts:

Archive of historical constitutions: www.dircost.unito.it / index.shtml;

Constitution finder: http://confinder.richmond.edu/ International constitutional law: www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/;

Political resources: http://www.politicalresources.net/ (for each country in the world all the most important political sites, including those of the institutions with the text of the Constitution)

Office hours

See the website of Chiara Bologna