00222 - Constitutional Law (A-C)

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.

In particular, sources of law and theory of  normative acts and normative facts will be deeply analyzed throughout the classes, giving special attention to the conflicts among constitutional powers and the judicial review of the legislation.  Learning constitutional law and the constitutional approach represents the formative basis for all the other law courses and political studies.

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 organizations 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

1) A. Barbera, C. Fusaro, Corso di diritto pubblico, Bologna, il Mulino, 2008 (pp. 430);
2) F. Sorrentino, Le fonti del diritto italiano, Padova, Cedam, 2009 (pp. 350);
3) A. Barbera, I Parlamenti. Un'analisi comparativa, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2008 (pp. 124);
4) 15 Constitutional Court decisions (3 for each chapter) taken from: A. Morrone, Il diritto costituzionale nella giurisprudenza e nelle fonti, Padova, Cedam, 2007 (pp. 397).

To better prepare for the exam, students may consult a public law code.

For example:

1) L. Califano (a cura di), La Costituzione della repubblica italiana, Rimini, Maggioli, 2006;
2) M. Bassani, V. Italia, G. Bottino, M. Della Torre, A. Zucchetti (a cura di), Leggi fondamentali del diritto pubblico e costituzionale, Milano, Giuffré, 2008;
3) P. Costanzo (a cura di), Testi normativi per lo studio del diritto costituzionale italiano ed europeo, Torino, Giappichelli, 2007;
4) L. Mezzetti, M. Belletti (a cura di), Codice costituzionale, Torino, Giappichelli, 2008.

Teaching methods

Course
Lessons will be held during the 1st  semester. The professor will monitor student attendance in accordance with the rules established by the Academic Council.

Tutorship
Each student who meets the attendance requirements will be assigned to a tutorial group. The tutorial groups will be directed by a tutor choosen from among the professor's assistants. The tutor will help prepare students for the final exam using written assignments and group lectures. Before the final exam the tutor will write an evaluation report for each student. The syllabus of tutor meetings and assignment dates will also be published on the website.

Additional didactic support
Students who did not pass the exam in the 1st semester will be assigned additional review activities during the 2nd semester.  These review activities will consist in individual written assignments and interrogation sessions. The final exam mark will be based on the average of the marks received by students during these activities. The meetings will be held in the satelite offices of the Law Department “A. Cicu”, located in viale Filopanti n.9 . Dates and timetables will be published on the website.

Seminars
Seminars will be announced during the course of the semester.

 

Assessment methods

Exam
The exam consist in a written and oral test with the teaching assistants and the Professor. Negative result on the written part of the exam will not compromise the possibility to take the oral part. All students will take the written exam on the first day of every exam session from 9:00 to 10:00. During the written exam students will be allowed to consult a public law code provided that it is not commented edition.

The oral part will take place following the written part; the order in which students are interrogated will be communicated at the end of the written exam. 

Students must register online to take exams using a web list in accordance with departmental rules.

Practice Written Exams
To better prepare for exams students can participate in one-hour practice written exams which will be held in accordance with a calendar to be determined at the beginning of the year and published on the website. The practice written exams will be held in Room A, via Belmeloro. During the written exams students must demonstrate their ability to understand the subjects handled during the course and the ability to summarize whate they have understood.

Final Thesis
The thesis topic is assigned and registered by the Professor during an interview with each student. The student's name and the topic assigned are registered in the Thesis Book. The time and date in which student's will have to hand in their thesis will be published on the Internet site. Any edititing which will need to take place will be determined by the Professor.  The final thesis will be delivered to the Professor two month before its final delivery to the administrative office.

In order to improve their thesis editing students may consult T.F. Giupponi, A Morrone, D. Tega, La tesi di laurea in Scienze Giuridiche, Libreria Bonomo, Bologna 2002

Teaching tools

Website
Student can consult a website at the following link: http://www.giuri.unibo.it/Giurisprudenza/Didattica/Cattedre/Diritto+Costituzionale+A-C/default.htm .
On the website, students can find information about the course and any other activity; a Document section (with full normative texts and didactic supports); a webpage with links to italian and foreign constitutional websites.
For further information, students can use the following e-mail address: accost.giuri@unibo.it

Information for VOD (vecchio ordinamento didattico) or NOD (nuovo ordinamento didattico) students:
Students can refer to the old  four years exam program or to the present exam program (“Laurea magistrale” five years degree).

Information for “Scienze giuridiche” students (three years degree)
Student who attended in the past years Constitutional law in the “Scienze giuridiche” degree (three years degree) without passing the final exam, must refer to the present exam program (Laurea magistrale, five years degree, 12 CFU).

Information for Laurea magistrale students behind of CFU (coming from Scienze giuridche and Consulente del lavoro)
a) Students coming from "Scienze giuridiche" degree (three years degree), to integrate the missing 3 CFU, must study 13 cases choosen among the following decisons: 1) Corte cost., n. 203/1989, ora di religione e principio di laicità; 2) Corte cost., n. 189/1987, i simboli dello Stato democratico e l'esposizione della bandiera; 3) Corte europea dei diritti dell'uomo, n. 2346/2002, il suicidio assistito nel caso Pretty; 4) Corte cost., n. 494/2002, il diritto all'identità personale dei figli incestuosi; 5) Corte cost., n. 1/1956, la differenza tra norme programmatiche e norme precettive; 6) Corte cost., n. 360/1996, la reiterazione dei decreti legge; 7) Corte cost., n. 16/1978, i limiti di ammissibilità del referendum abrogativo; 8) Corte cost., n. 170/1984, la prevalenza del diritto comunitario sul diritto interno; 9) Corte cost., n. 7/1996, la sfiducia al singolo ministro nel caso Mancuso; 10) Corte cost., n. 154/2004, l'immunità del Presidente della Repubblica; 11) Corte cost., n. 129/1981, le consuetudini costituzionali; 12) Corte cost., n. 154/1985, l'insindcabilità dei regolamenti parlamentari; 13) Corte cost., n. 1146/1988, i principi supremi e i limiti alla revisione costituzionale; 14) Corte cost., n. 303/2003, la sussidiarietà amministrativa e legislativa; 15) Corte cost., n. 222/2004, la libertà personale e l'espulsione dello straniero irregolare; 16) Corte cost., n. 168/2005, i reati di vilipendio e il principio di laicità; 17) Corte cost., n. 200/2006, il potere di grazia.

To consult each case, student can refer to www.giurcost.org and to the following texts:
1) L. Mezzetti (a cura di), Diritto costituzionale. Casebook, Esselibri Editore, Napoli, 2007;
2) A. Morrone, Il diritto costituzionale nella giurisprudenza e nelle fonti, Cedam, Padova, 2007.

b) Students coming from “Consulente del lavoro”, to integrate the missing 6CFU must study the following texts:
1) F. Sorrentino, Le fonti del diritto italiano, Padova, 2009, pp. 350;
2) A. Barbera, I Parlamenti. Un'analisi comparativa, Laterza, Bari-Roma, 2008, pp. 124.

Information for italian Erasmus Students who will attend  Constiutional law course abroad :
Students must arrange a proper exam program with the Professor.

Information for foreign Erasmus Students:
Socrates – Erasmus students are expected to follow a different syllabus, based on the following chapters of the A. BARBERA. C. FUSARO, Corso di diritto pubblico textbook, il Mulino, Bologna, 2008, V ed.: V. Le fonti del diritto (Sources of law); IV. I diritti fondamentali (Fundamental rights); IX Il Parlamento (The Parliament); X Il Presidente della Repubblica (The Head of State); XI. Il Governo (The Executive power); XII. I governi regionali e locali (Regional and local governments); XIII. La garanzie giurisdizionali (Individual rights in the judicial process); XVI. L'ordinamento italiano e la sua evoluzione (Historical development of the Italian legal system).
Socrates – Erasmus students are not required to take the written text. The final exam will consist only of a oral examination.

Links to further information

http://www.giuri.unibo.it/Giurisprudenza/Didattica/Cattedre/Diritto+Costituzionale+A-C/default.htm

Office hours

See the website of Augusto Antonio Barbera