Course content - Learning outcome - Admission - Prerequisites - Overlapping courses - Teaching - Examination - Evaluation - Other

Course content

The primary aim of the course is to facilitate a solid understanding of legal policies on privacy and data protection, particularly in the context of distributed computer networks such as the Internet. More specifically, the course seeks to illuminate the rationale and regulatory logic of such policies along with the various technological challenges that they face.

The secondary aim of the course is to facilitate an understanding of the regulatory impact of information technology; that is, to analyse the significance and role of what has been termed “lex informatica” (Reidenberg).

The course seeks also to illuminate legal-regulatory issues related to freedom of expression, the increasing automatisation of decision-making processes, the increasingly cross-national character of organisational transactions, and the interaction of legal norms with the regulatory effects of IT and other non-legal instruments, such as sectoral codes of practice.

The themes taken up in the course may be summed up with the following key-words: privacy, data protection, surveillance, Internet, cyberspace, encryption, freedom of expression, automated decision making, rule of law, codes of practice, electronic commerce.

With respect to law on privacy and data protection, the primary points of departure for course discussion will be the 1995 EC Directive on data protection (Directive 95/46/EC of 24.10.1995) and case law pursuant to Article 8 of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR). Special attention will also be given to the 2002 EC Directive on privacy and electronic communications (Directive 2002/58/EC), Norway’s Personal Data Act of 2000 (Personopplysningsloven) and Germany’s Teleservices Data Protection Act of 1997 (Teledienstedatenschutzgesetz).”

Learning outcome

From the course, one gains a firm understanding of the basic rules and principles for protecting privacy and personal information, particularly as laid down in EU and other international instruments. One gains also insight into the myriad regulatory challenges in the field. Further, one learns about the potential for technological development to both threaten and enhance privacy protection.

Admission

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Students who are admitted to study programmes or individual courses at UiO must each semester register
which courses and exams they wish to sign up for by registering a study plan in StudentWeb.

International applicants, if you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information
about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.

Nordic applicants that are accepted to study programmes or individual courses at UiO can be admitted to this course.

The examination in this course is not available for external candidates. Only students admitted to the course may sit for the examination.

Prerequisites

Formal prerequisite knowledge

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Recommended previous knowledge

Please note that lectures and curriculum for this course is aimed at students at master degree level.

However, the achievement requirements are adjusted for students who take the subject at bachelor degree level.

Overlapping courses

10 credits overlap with JUR5630 - Privacy, Data Protection and Lex Informatica (discontinued), 10 credits overlap with VALPRIV - Privacy, Data Protection and Lex Informatica (discontinued), 10 credits overlap with JUXPRIV - Privacy, Data Protection and Lex Informatica (discontinued), 10 credits overlap with JUTPRIV - Privacy, Data Protection and Lex Informatica (discontinued), 10 credits overlap with ICTLPRIV - Privacy, Data Protection and Lex Informatica (discontinued) and 10 credits overlap with JUS5630 - Privacy and Data Protection.

Teaching

Lectures/seminars.

Language of teaching for this course is English. This means that all
communication during lectures/seminars will be in English, and all
literature and auxiliary materials are in English.

Access to teaching

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Examination

4 hour written examination.

Examination support material

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Regulations for support materials permitted at examination for courses taught in English . Please read all three chapters.

Previous exam papers

Language of examination

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The language of examination for this course is English: the examination question will be given in English, and students
may answer in English only.

Grading scale

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Starting from the springsemester 2012, course grades are awarded using alphabetic grades, from A to E for passes and F for fail.

Up to, and including, the autumnsemester 2011, students are awarded either a passing or failing grade.

Explanations and appeals

You may request an explanation of your grades, and you may also appeal against your grades or make a complaint about formal examination errors. Read more about explanations and appeals.

Resit an examination

You can usually resit an exam, but the conditions depend on whether you had a valid reason for absence from the regular exam. Read more about resitting an exam.

Withdrawal from an examination

A student may sit this exam up to 3 times. If a student wishes to withdraw from the exam, s/he must do so in StudentWeb at least two weeks prior to the first day of the exam. Failure to do so will be counted as one of the three opportunities to sit the exam.

Special examination arrangements

If you have a disability or a health problem that entails significant inconvenience in an examination situation, you may be considered for special examination arrangements. Mothers who are breastfeeding may apply for extra time to complete the exam.

Please se Detailed regulations for the Faculty of Law, Chapter 3 regarding application, responsibilities and special measures.

Evaluation

Feedback from our students is essential to us in our efforts to ensure and further improve the high quality of our programmes and courses. All courses are subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students on a particular course to participate in a more comprehensive, periodic evaluation of this course.

Other

The language for this course is English. Students enrolled in the
Masterprogrammet i rettsvitenskap must pass one
English subject as part of their degree, this course will meet these
obligations.

This subject is taught at Bachelor's level. The subject is also taught at Master's level (10 ECTS credits), see JUS5630 - Privacy and Data Protection

Please see the chapter above, regarding overlap. For instances of overlap, credits will be deducted on the subject at Bachelors's level.