Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
| Extra courses intended for exchange students (Erasmus, ...) | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The course continues the study of fundamental rights that the students started in other legal disciplines and aims to present a general overview of the questions raised by the fundamental rights in Belgian legal practice. Special attention is paid to the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.
After a short introduction to the history of the evolution of fundamental rights, the first part of the course will be devoted to the presentation of the relevant legal sources (constitutional provisions, European Convention on Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, etc.), the mechanisms for protection of fundamental rights and a certain number of general concepts specific to the issue.
In the second part of the course, the emphasis will be on a selection of fundamental rights (right to life, freedom of expression, right to respect for private life, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and so on). For each of these, we will look at presenting key lessons that emerge from Belgian and European jurisprudence.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The course aims at developing the understanding of the principal issues connected to fundamental rights and at familiarising students with the reasoning of the national and European jurisdictions that monitor compliance.
At the end of the semester, students should be able:
- to answer general theoretical questions about human rights,
- to show that they have understood the main stakes of the field,
- to analyse summarily judgments of courts like the Belgian Constitutional Court of the European Court of Human Rights,
- to produce, on the basis of given facts, an appropriate reasoning in order to suggest a suitable legal solution to the matter.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
A basic knowledge of public law (in particular, constitutional law) and of the fundamental mechanisms of international law (in particular, treaty law) is recommended.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
This course combines lectures and personal work of the students on the e-campus system.This system provides the students with required and recommended readings (Belgian and European case law). The students become familiar with a certain number of judicial decisions and are expected to talk about these decisions during classes. Participation of the students is welcome.
Some sessions may be complemented by guest speakers.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
Face-to-face combined with e-campus.
Recommended or required readings
Required readings are extracts of judgments. They are accessible on e-campus (see above) and in a compendium of cases published at the "Presses universitaires" of the University of Liège.
Others readings (beyond the required ones) are suggested on the e-campus system.
An overall outline for the course will also be given to the students.
Assessment methods and criteria
There will be a written examination in each of the first and the second sessions.
It will comprise several open questions on the material studied.
Students may bring a code that includes relevant primary sources (Constitution, international treaties, laws, etc.) and the compendium of cases which is mentioned above. These texts may be underlined or highlighted but under no circumstances may they be annotated.
Active and constructive participation during the semester can bring one supplementary point. Precisions on what means "active and constructive participation" will be given at the begining of the semester.
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
The Academic sessions will be held in the first term, every Tuesday from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.
Contacts
Students may contact the professor directly (f.bouhon@ulg.ac.be) or with the assistant associated to the course, Mrs. Alix Ernoux.