LL4Z7      Half Unit
Comparative Constitutional Law: Rights

This information is for the 2014/15 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Kai Moller NAB7.01

Availability

This course is available on the Master of Laws and Master of Laws (extended part-time study). This course is not available as an outside option.

This course is capped at 30 students. Students must apply through Graduate Course Choice on LSEforYou.

Course content

This course examines a range of controversial issues in human and constitutional rights law from a comparative perspective. These issues include: abortion; euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide; gay sex and sodomy; religion in the public sphere; affirmative action; hate speech and denial of the holocaust; obscenity. We will approach them by comparing and contrasting judgments from courts all over the world, with a certain emphasis on cases from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Canadian Supreme Court, the South African Constitutional Court, the European Court of Human Rights, the U.K. Supreme Court, and the German Federal Constitutional Court. The goals of the course are, first, to introduce the students to the jurisprudence of those extremely powerful and influential courts, and, second, to invite them to think about and critically analyse some of the most controversial, difficult, and important rights issues of our time.

Teaching

20 hours of seminars in the LT. 2 hours of seminars in the ST.

Formative coursework

One 2,000 word essay.

Indicative reading

The course is mainly case-based; however, interested students may find the following book helpful: V Jackson and M Tushnet, Comparative Constitutional Law, 2nd edition, 2006.

Assessment

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.

Key facts

Department: Law

Total students 2013/14: 20

Average class size 2013/14: 19

Controlled access 2013/14: No

Lecture capture used 2013/14: No

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Communication
  • Specialist skills