Study Abroad & Exchange Programmes at Glasgow

This course introduces the students to the comparative study of constitutional law by comparing several constitutional orders: Canada, Australia, South Africa, Israel and the US. It will touch upon some key constitutional issues common to all these countries.

Two-hour seminars every week for fifteen classes (Monday 1300-1500)

To have already taken the following exams: Constitutional Law 1 and Law and Government

None

No other co-requisites

Summative assessment is comprised of a 3000-word essay (40%) and two-hour exam (60%)

The essay will ask students to compare different solutions to a specific issue in comparative terms and to asses which one is the most effective and why.

The exam will verify students' skills in identifying the main tenets of contemporary constitutional traditions and to illustrate continuities and differences among them (in particular, constitutional powers and rights)

This course aims to introduce students to the main tenets of some important constitutional orders and to offer the opportunity of reflecting on the role of constitutional law in contemporary societies. It also aims to make students familiar with different cultures in contemporary constitutionalism. Finally, it offers an ideal complement to Constitutional law and Law and Government.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

Identify the main trends in contemporary constitutional law, at least in the Commonwealth;

identify the main distinctive tenets of constitutional orders;

compare the constitutional traditions of the Commonwealth;

argue what is the best constitutional solution for a specific issue

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.