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| DROI2339-1 | Private international law
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| Duration : | 60h Th |
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| Lecturer : | Patrick Wautelet |
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Language(s) of instruction :
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| French language |
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Organisation and examination :
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| Teaching in the first semester, review in January |
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Course contents :
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| This course is meant to offer an introduction to private international law as it is applied in Belgium. To that end, the course will focus first on the different methods which are used to solve private international law issues - and in particular the issue of jurisdiction in cross-border matters, the question of the applicable norms and finally the question of circulation of decisions. These issues will be studied so as to give students the tools required to understand and analyse a private international law problem. Specific attention will be given to the interaction between the various layers of rules (international, European and national).
In a second stage, the fundamental questions will be illustrated by reference to the various practical contexts in which they can arise. In a first part, attention will be focused on family law questions such as marriage, divorce, alimony and financial relationships between spouses. In a second part, one will turn to the business law issues, such as contracts, torts, property and companies. |
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Learning outcomes of the course :
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| The course aims to give students a broad overview of the questions that can arise in private international disputes or situations and the methods used to solve them. The focus will be on analytical thinking and problem-solving approach and not so much on detailed knowlegde of all applicable rules. |
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Prerequisites and co-requisites/ Recommended optional programme components :
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| A basic knowlegde of one's national private law and a good knowlegde of the French language. Students whose command of the French language is insufficient should talk to the instructor before registering. This course is also taught in English during the spring term (course DROI2353-1 - see http://progcours.ulg.ac.be/cocoon/en/cours/DROI2353-1.html). Students with a limited command of English are strongly encouraged to sign up for the English version of the course. |
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
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| The course will be taught in lecture style, with, however, some input from the classroom. No preparation or reading is required for the lectures, although they could certainly help, especially if the student's command of the French language is limited. During the second part of the course, the lectures will be mainly based on practical cases, which will be examined closely during meetings with the students. |
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Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
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| There will mainly be lectures by the teacher, with emphasis on the concepts and key questions, and not on the details. During the lectures, practical cases will be dealt with to illustrate the rules studied. Questions will be fielded to the students and active participation is warmly encouraged, even though the size of the class may not allow for a real socractic dialogue. Students are warmly encouraged to read the materials before each class meeting. This is especially valuable for the students whose command of the French language is limited. |
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Recommended or required readings :
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| The teacher will make available a handout composed of summaries of the main issues dealt with in the course. For most class meetings, students will also receive a power point presentation. Students will also receive a set of materials, composed of national and international legislation. All these documents should be used as a help and not serve as an excuse not to attend classes... Attendance of class meetings is strongly recommended. |
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Assessment methods and criteria :
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| Students will be evaluated on the basis of a written exam. The examination will be conducted in French. Students will be given several cases to solve (with the help of relevant statutory materials). The aim of the examination is to evaluate whether the student has mastered the reasoning underlying the main rules of private international law, rather than merely memorized the rules. |
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Work placement(s) :
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Organizational remarks :
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Contacts :
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| Questions and observations may be sent to patrick.wautelet@ulg.ac.be or may be asked after each class meeting. |
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| Items online : |
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| Private international law - an introduction |
| These .ppt presentations offer a detailed summary of the issues discussed in class. |
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