Master

This course is devoted to the comparative analysis of different constitutional systems, including Germany, Switzerland, the United States, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. We will discuss cases and papers on topics such as constitutionalism, constitutional adjudication, and fundamental rights. Part of the lecture will be devoted to the in-depth analysis and comparison of various constitutional rights, such as the right to life, the right to privacy or freedom of expression. 

The aim of this course is for students to be able to grasp the main ideas of a judgment related to constitutional law and to be able to compare these ideas to those of other jurisdictions. Students should hone their ability to critically analyse the different approaches to constitutional rights, traceable in different jurisdictions, and to engage in meaningful discussions on these findings. The course will be taught in English. Students should be prepared to read judgments or excerpts from judgments on a weekly basis and to actively participate in the weekly course sessions. 

All course material will be uploaded on OLAT. No books need to be bought or papers copied. For reasons of copyrights, course material must be used exclusively for the course (such as preparation of classes, attending classes, exam preparation).