MVV168K European Constitutional Law & Politics

Faculty of Law
Spring 2015
Extent and Intensity
2/1. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
doc. JUDr. Mgr. Pavel Molek, Ph.D., LL.M. (lecturer)
prof. JUDr. David Kosař, Ph.D., LL.M., J. S. D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Adam Blisa (assistant)
JUDr. Ladislav Vyhnánek, Ph.D., LL.M. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
prof. JUDr. David Kosař, Ph.D., LL.M., J. S. D.
Department of Constitutional Law and Political Science – Faculty of Law
Contact Person: Andrea Špačková, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of Constitutional Law and Political Science – Faculty of Law
Timetable
Mon 23. 2. to Fri 22. 5. Wed 18:15–19:45 209
Prerequisites
As far as students of the Faculty of Law are concerned, the colloquium is aimed at students in the 3rd, 4th and 5th years of their study; previous completion of courses Constitutional Law and Human Rights and Judiciary is advisable. The colloquium may also interest students of the Faculty of Social Studies (namely those studying political science, sociology and international relations) and ERASMUS students. Both the course and the final evaluation are designed such as not to favour neither lawyers, nor non-lawyers.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Unlike a usual lecture-oriented course, the Colloquium on European Constitutional Law & Politics generates a free flow of ideas among participants and the distinction between a "teacher" and a "student" is abandoned in favour of the joint pursuit of advanced study involving the EU constitutional law and politics. The colloquium European Constitutional Law & Politics consists of 6 workshops. Students first meet with the course conveners and discuss a recent paper by a leading authority one week before the presentation of the invited scholar. The next week they meet with the author, along with other visiting faculty members and invited guests (namely, but not only, judges from the Administrative Supreme Court, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court and their assistants), for a workshop about the paper. The following week, reactions to the workshop are reviewed, and then, with the next topic, the whole process begins again. The key aim of the colloquium is to equip students with the nuances of the European constitutional law and politics and the interaction between the national and European law. The discussions held with the invited scholars will also help to improve the quality of their papers, encourage a multidisciplinary research and increase the awareness of hot issues in the EU. Due to its nature the colloquium European Constitutional Law & Politics is the most advanced course offered at the Faculty of Law of Masaryk University.
Syllabus
  • Number of Sessions 12 sessions (6 seminars and 6 lectures) for 30 students at maximum. The colloquium is taught annually in the spring semester. Course outline This course is of unusual nature. It consists of two types of sessions – lectures or rather presentations of papers by their authors and seminars. 6 lectures by invited speakers are the core of the colloquium. These lectures will be given in 2., 4., 6., 8., 10. and 12. week of the semester. The invited speakers make their papers available 14 days before the relevant lecture/presentation, at minimum. A week before the lecture/presentation (in 1., 3., 5., 7., 9. and 11. week of the semester) a seminar is held during which selected students present their reaction papers related to the given topic and handed in the day before. The ultimate goal of such an approach is to analyse individual papers from a broader perspective and make arguments and questions of students raised during the discussion with an invited speaker better. Speakers' names and concrete topics will be announced in the beginning of the semester.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • The worlds of European constitutionalism. Edited by G. De Búrca - Joseph Weiler. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012, vi, 348. ISBN 9780521177757. info
  • European constitutionalism beyond the state. Edited by Joseph Weiler - Marlene Wind. 1st pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003, viii, 244. ISBN 0521796717. info
  • The European court of justice. Edited by Gráinne de Búrca - Joseph H. H. Weiler. 1. ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001, xxvi, 233. ISBN 0-19-924602-5. info
  • WEILER, J. H. H. The constitution of Europe : "Do the new clothes have an emperor?" and other essays on european integration. 1st pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999, xvi, 364 s. ISBN 0-521-58473-6. info
    not specified
  • The European court and national courts - doctrine and jurisprudence : legal change in its social context. Edited by Anne-Marie Slaughter - Alec Stone Sweet - Joseph Weiler. Oxford: Hart, 1998, xli, 400. ISBN 1901362264. info
Teaching methods
lectures, seminars, reaction papers, (roundtables - optional)
Assessment methods
The course is completed with a colloquium. Conditions for successful completion of the course are the following: • Active participation in discussions held during seminars and lectures: Students are supposed to read all the relevant materials before the session. Active contributing to discussions and regular attendance is requires. • 2 reaction papers. A reaction paper (1,500 – 2,000 words) consists in critical reflection on a paper written and sent in advance by a speaker (lecturer). The reaction paper is to be sent to course conveners at 5 p.m. on the day before the relevant seminar at latest (i.e. a week and a day before the paper is presented by its author). When writing the reaction paper, every student shall develop his or her own argumentation on the topic concerned or shed some light on a crucial aspect of the paper or a phenomenon included therein. Students are supposed to briefly introduce their reaction papers during the relevant seminar and to use this material as preparatory notes for the discussion with the relevant speaker after his or her presentation.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Pokud jde o studenty právnické fakulty, předmět je určen primárně pro studenty 3., 4. a 5. ročníku právnické fakulty; vhodné je předchozí absolvování předmětů Ústavní právo a Lidská práva a soudnictví. Předmět je rovněž vhodný pro studenty FSS.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2016, Spring 2017.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2015, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/law/spring2015/MVV168K