00222 - Constitutional Law (D-L)

Learning outcomes

The course focuses on the analysis of the Italian Constitution. The understanding of the constitutional text and its implications involves the studying of: basic notions of the general theory of law, fundamental constitutional principles, sources of law, human rights, constitutional powers, individual rights in the judicial process, local and regional governments, relations between the Italian law system and the European/International legal systems.

Course contents

1. Legal systems and constitutional law. - 2. The State. - 3. The State and the other legal systems. Constitutional law and International law. - 4. Constitutional law and the EU Law. - 5. Sources of law. - 5.1 Theoretical aspects. - 5.2 Sources' rules of production and enactment. - 5.3 The legal source system. - 5.4 The normative acts. - 5.5 The Constitution. - 5.6 Legislative statutes. - 5.7 European sources. - 5.8 Delegated legislation. - 5.9 The regional legal sources. - 5.10 Executive acts. - 5.11 The normative facts. - 6. Fundamental rights. - 7. The organization of political powers. - 8. Ballots, referenda and other forms of direct democracy. - 9. The Parliament. - 9.1 The origins of the first parliaments. - 9.2 The bicameral governments. - 9.3 Organizations and procedures. 9.4 The functions. - 9.5 The power of dissolution. - 10. The Head of the State. - 11. The Government . - 12. The regional and local government. - 13. The public administration. - 14. The individual rights and the judicial process. - 15. The judicial review. - 16. The Italian legal system and its evolution.

Readings/Bibliography

The exam is based on the following texts:

I) General Part

1) A. Barbera, C. Fusaro, Corso di diritto costituzionale, Bologna, il Mulino, 2020;
2) Fifteen cases (three paragraphs for each chapter) chosen from A. Morrone (ed.), Il diritto costituzionale nella giurisprudenza, Padova, Cedam, 2020.

II) Special Part

Students may choose one of the following textbooks:
1) A. Morrone, Fonti normative, Bologna, il Mulino, 2018 (Chapters VI-XIII; pp. 91-249);
2) L. Gianniti, N. Lupo, Corso di diritto parlamentare, Bologna, il Mulino, 2018 (Chapters III-VII; pp. 49-195);
3) T. Martines, A. Morelli, A. Ruggeri, C. Salazar, Lineamenti di diritto regionale, Milano, Giuffrè, 2019 (Sections II and IV.A; pp. 29-107 and pp. 149-225);
4) E. Malfatti, S. Panizza, R. Romboli, Giustizia costituzionale, Torino, Giappichelli, 2018 (Chapters I-III; pp. 1-151).

Case Law

Decisions of Corte costituzionale may be found on the official website of the Corte costituzionale (www.cortecostituzionale.it) and on the website Consulta on-line (www.giurcost.it).

Legislation

Legislation may be consulted at the webpage www.normattiva.it. To better prepare for the exam, students may consult a public law code.

For example:

1) M. Bassani, G. Bottino, M. Della Torre, V. Italia, G. Ruggeri, A. Zucchetti (ed.), Leggi fondamentali del diritto pubblico e costituzionale, Milano, Giuffrè, 2019;
2) L. Califano, M. Rubechi (ed.), Guida ragionata alla Costituzione italiana, Rimini, Maggioli, 2019;
3) A. Celotto (ed.), Costituzione annotata della Repubblica italiana, Bologna, Zanichelli, 2018;
4) P. Costanzo (ed.), Testi normativi per lo studio del diritto costituzionale italiano ed europeo, vol. I, Profili organizzativi, and vol. II, Situazioni soggettive, Torino, Giappichelli, 2019;
5) A. Mattioni (ed.), Codice costituzionale, Piacenza, La Tribuna, 2019.
6) L. Mezzetti (ed.), Codice di diritto pubblico, Torino, Giappichelli, 2018.

For an updated commentary on the Italian Constitution, see F. Clementi, L. Cuocolo, F. Rosa, G.E. Vigevani (ed.), La Costituzione italiana. Commento articolo per articolo, Bologna, il Mulino, 2018, vol. I and II.

For the comparative public law and EU law sections, students may refer to: A. Morrone (ed.), Costituzioni e diritto europeo, Napoli, Editoriale Scientifica, 2014; G. Cerrina Feroni, A. Torre, T.E. Frosini (ed.), Codice delle costituzioni, Torino, Giappichelli, 2009, volume I; E. Palici di Suni Prat, F. Cassella, M. Comba (ed.), Le costituzioni dei paesi dell'Unione Europea, Padova, Cedam, 2001; P. Biscaretti di Ruffia (ed.), Le costituzioni di dieci stati di democrazia stabilizzata, Milano, Giuffrè, 1994, volume I; Id., Le costituzioni di sette stati di recente ristrutturazione, Milano, Giuffrè, 1996, volume II.

Teaching methods

Class Timetable

Classes will take place during the first semester, according to the schedule that will be published subsequently. Course units of the DSG programs taken place in the first semester will be organized by one of the models described here.

Assessment methods

Final Exam

The students learning will be verified through a final exam, testing the formative outcomes of the course.

The final exam consists of a written part and an oral one, both focused on the course contents. The written part consists of a short essay, while the oral part is led by teaching assistants (first half) and professor (second half).

It is not required to pass the written part in order to take the oral part.

Students will have one hour to complete the essay. The written part will take place the same day of the general exam, as scheduled in the exam session, after the identification of the registered students and just before the oral part. During the written part students are allowed to use a plain text of the Constitution (not annotated).

The final grade will consider the results of each part of the exam.

The assessment will take into account the general knowledge of the main topics of the course, as well as the ability to analyze case law and its theorical implications, the critical approach and and argumentative clarity.

By way of example, the following criteria will be used to assess the final grade (that will be out of 30/30):
- sufficient or barely sufficient knowledge of the programme, limited reasoning ability, some difficulties in using technical and legal language → 18-21/30; - fairlly good knowledge of the programme, adequate critical reasoning ability, sound use of technical and legal language → 22-25/30; - comprehensive knowledge of the programme, notable reasoning ability, good command of technical and legal language → 26-29/30; - extensive knowledge of the programme, very good reasoning ability, and ability to fully master technical-legal language → 30-30L/30.

Final Thesis

The thesis topic is given after a talk with the Professor, who will mark the topic and the student name in the Thesis Book. The time and date for the assignment of the thesis will be established by the Professors at the beginning of the course. The editing modalities will be fixed in accordance with the Professors. The final thesis will be delivered to the Professor one month before the delivery to the administration office.

For editing the thesis students may read the following thesis guide:
T.F. Giupponi, A. Morrone, D. Tega, La tesi di laurea in scienze giuridiche, Libreria Bonomo Editrice, Bologna, 2002.

Note for Socrates/Erasmus students

Incoming students - Socrates/Erasmus students are required to study only the textbook A. Barbera, C. Fusaro, Corso di diritto costituzionale, Bologna, il Mulino, 2020. The exam will consist of an oral examination.

 

Teaching tools

During the course the Professor will set a seminars schedule to elaborate on the main course topics. Moreover, a learning support will be set at the very beginning of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Tomaso Francesco Giupponi