SSC 271 International and European Law

Content

The general characteristics and principles of international law will be highlighted during the first part of the course. The sources of international law will be discussed as well as the main features of international organizations. The importance of international treaties, of international organizations as mechanisms for international co-operation and the peaceful resolution of disputes are explored. The problems and prospects of international legal co-operation are analysed, with several contemporary illustrations.

The second part of the course will focus on the institutional and constitutional structure of the European Union and on the basic features of European Union Law as amended by the Treaty of Lisbon. The tasks of and relationships between the European Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament will be explained and the pivotal role and case-law of the European Court of Justice will be analysed. Attention will be paid to a number policy-areas and the legal instruments pertaining to them. Of special importance are the problems of good and effective (multilevel) governance and of democratic accountability. The perspectives and pitfalls of an European constitutional order will be debated.

Instructor

Prof. Dr. Fried van Hoof

Track

Law

Period

Fall / 2012

Aim

During this course the students:

-gain insight in the fundamental mechanisms and general principles of International and European law also in comparison to national (municipal) law;
-develop the necessary knowledge about the (historical) background, the perspectives and the limitations of International and European law;
-develop the capability to discuss and write about relevant topics in International and European law.

Course Material

-    Christopher C. Joyner, International Law in the 21st  Century. Rules for Global Governance, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham etc 2005.
-    P.S.R.F. Mathijsen, A Guide to European Union Law. Tenth Edition, Sweet & Maxwell, London 2010.

Prerequisites

The following course is required in order to take this course:

• SSC 171 Law, Society and Justice

Required for

This course is required in order to take the following courses:

• SSC 371 International Human Rights
• SSC 372 Crime and Law Enforcement
• SSC 370 General Theories of Law