- Docente: Tomaso Francesco Giupponi
- Credits: 12
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Blended Learning
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Single cycle degree programme (LMCU) in Law (cod. 9232)
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from Sep 16, 2024 to Dec 10, 2024
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 italian Constitution. - 4. Constitutional Law and International Law. - 5. Constitutional Law and the EU Law. - 6. Sources of Law. General notions. - 7. The individual Sources of Law. - 8. The protection of the person and Fundamental rights. 9. The Fundamental rights. - 10. Economic rights and Social rights. - 11. The forms of government. 12. Popular sovereignty. - 13. The Parliament. - 14. The President of the Republic. - 15. The Government. - 16. Regional and local government and Public administrations. - 17. The judicial system. - 18. Constitutional justice. 19. 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, C. Caruso, Corso di diritto costituzionale, Bologna, il Mulino, 2024 (Chapters I-IV; Chapter V, par. 1-6; Chapters VI-XV; Chapter XVI, par. 1-6, 8 and 11; Chapter XVII, par. 1-5; Chapters XVIII-XX);
2) Three paragraphs for each chapter chosen from A. Morrone (ed.), Il diritto costituzionale nella giurisprudenza, Padova, Cedam, 2024.
II) Special Part
Students may choose one of the following textbooks:
1) L. Gianniti, N. Lupo, Corso di diritto parlamentare, Bologna, il Mulino, 2023 (Chapters III-VII);
2) A. Morrone, Fonti normative, Bologna, il Mulino, 2022 (Chapters VI-XIII and XVI-XVII).
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, 2024;
2) A. Celotto (ed.), Costituzione annotata della Repubblica italiana, Bologna, Zanichelli, 2024;
3) 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, 2023;
4) A. Mattioni (ed.), Codice costituzionale, Piacenza, La Tribuna, 2024.
5) L. Mezzetti (ed.), Codice di diritto pubblico, Torino, Giappichelli, 2022.
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, 2021, 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.
Assessment methods
Final Exam
The students learning will be verified through a final exam, testing the formative outcomes of the course.
It consists in a written assessment, followed by an oral interview. Both parts of the exam will verify the student’s understanding and comprehension of the course’s contents.
In the written part, which will take place just before the interview, students will be asked to respond to an open-ended question on a topic addressed during the course. The assessment’s result will be taken into account for the exam’s final result, but it will not prejudice the possibility of taking the second part of the exam (i.e., the interview). The essay will be evaluated on a scale from unsatisfactory to excellent (unsatisfactory, satisfactory, good, excellent), and it will consider the student’s understanding of the topics being tested, the clarity of exposition, and the ability to synthesize.
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. During the written part students are allowed to use a plain text of the Constitution (not annotated).
The oral part of the exam will take place right after the written once, and it will consist in an interview with the teaching assistants (first half) and with the professor (second half). 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 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; - fairly 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
To further the students’ comprehension of the course in Constitutional law and to enhance their exam preparation, the Chair will organize weekly tutorials starting from November. The tutorials will be on a voluntary basis and students will have the opportunity to take mock exams, which will consist in open-ended questions on topics addressed throughout the course.
The tutorials will be made available to students who regularly attend lectures and they will be on a voluntary basis.
The calendar will be published after the course begins.
Office hours
See the website of Tomaso Francesco Giupponi
SDGs




This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.