Not available in 2020/21
LL4Z7 Half Unit
Comparative Constitutional Rights
This information is for the 2020/21 session.
Teacher responsible
Dr Kai Möller NAB 7.01
Availability
This course is available on the LLM (extended part-time), LLM (full-time) and University of Pennsylvania Law School LLM Visiting Students. 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; same sex marriage; religion in the public sphere; 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 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.
There will be a reading week in week 6.
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, 3rd edition, 2014.
Assessment
Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours, reading time: 15 minutes) in the summer exam period.
Important information in response to COVID-19
Please note that during 2020/21 academic year some variation to teaching and learning activities may be required to respond to changes in public health advice and/or to account for the situation of students in attendance on campus and those studying online during the early part of the academic year. For assessment, this may involve changes to mode of delivery and/or the format or weighting of assessments. Changes will only be made if required and students will be notified about any changes to teaching or assessment plans at the earliest opportunity.
Key facts
Department: Law
Total students 2019/20: 27
Average class size 2019/20: 27
Controlled access 2019/20: Yes
Value: Half Unit
Personal development skills
- Communication
- Specialist skills
