MVV357K Czech Constitutional Values

Faculty of Law
Spring 2023
Extent and Intensity
0/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Ing. Mgr. Jaroslav Benák, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Patrick Casey Leisure, J.D., LL.M. (seminar tutor)
JUDr. Zuzana Vikarská, MJur, MPhil, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
JUDr. Zuzana Vikarská, MJur, MPhil, Ph.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 of Seminar Groups
MVV357K/01: Mon 27. 2. to Fri 19. 5. each odd Thursday 8:00–9:40 043, J. Benák, P. Leisure, Z. Vikarská
Prerequisites
SOUHLAS
APPROVAL
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 10 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 4/10, only registered: 0/10
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 80 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Although the course is based on the reading of texts from the last century, it is not primarily a historical course and does not aim to teach historical events. The aim is to search for Czech constitutional values. The course is primarily aimed at students in the PhD program at the KUPP, but will also be open to PhD students from other departments and undergraduate students interested in constitutional law and constitutional theory. It will aim to talk about the values that underpin our legal order. We will read texts by Masaryk, Patočka, Havel, the first Constitutional Court, etc. to try to reconstruct the core values of our statehood (and the tensions between different values), but also more conservative texts by Scruton or Deneen to constructively critique liberal democracy. The aim of the course is to spark discussion in a group where Czech and international students meet - the topic should be beneficial to all thanks to this combination.
Learning outcomes
an overview of the literature (and jurisprudence) concerning the basic values of Czech statehood, the ability to name various phenomena and subject them to critical discussion.
Syllabus
  • The course will be taught on a full-time basis, once every 14 days. 1. The birth of Czechoslovakia in 1918. “The Czech Question”. 2. “The Building of a State” and the struggles of the First Republic. 3. Losing statehood: the Protectorate and relevant documents from that era. 4. Charter 77 & The Two Thousand Words, in the context of int’l human rights treaties of that era. 5. The Power of the Powerless: what is the role of a state, anyway? 6. The birth of the Czech Republic, its constitutional framework and its values. “The Czech Q” revisited. 7. Lustrations, transition, new democracy, and the case-law of the first decade of the CCC.
Literature
    required literature
  • KOSAŘ, David and Ladislav VYHNÁNEK. The Constitution of Czechia. A Contextual Analysis. 1st ed. Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2021, 256 pp. Constitutional Systems of the World. ISBN 978-1-5099-2053-2. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781509920563. Katalog MU Web nakladatele info
    recommended literature
  • VANĚK, Miroslav and Pavel MÜCKE. Velvet revolutions : an oral history of Czech society. New York: Oxford University Press, 2016, xi, 251. ISBN 9780199342723. info
Teaching methods
self-study of relevant academic literature, independent reading of a plurality of sources, open discussion and confrontation of ideas in seminar classes.
Assessment methods
60% continuous involvement in interactive seminar teaching, 40% final written performance.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Teacher's information
Looking forward to meeting you!
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2023, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/law/spring2023/MVV357K