JUS5560 - International Constitutional Law and Democracy
Course content
The increasing Europeanization and internationalization of law have resulted in increasingly international processes of legislation. This is also occurring on areas which previously have been considered to be primarily of internal interest for the nation states and their legislative institutions. Several and very comprehensive treaties have been made into national legislation or have given supranational organizations the competence to legislate with direct internal effect. Parts of the EC/EU treaties are supranational in character. Several treaties have also established courts or other conflict-resolution mechanisms which have contributed significantly to the increased efficiency of the implementation of international law. The meaning of the concepts of sovereignty and democracy relating to the constitutions of the nation-states are thus distinctly influenced. The same would be true for the status of the democratic legitimacy of law.
Questions are thus raised and discussed about the relations between the nation-states and the various international and European treaties and conflict-resolving mechanisms within a constitutional framework and regarding the demands for a democratic legitimacy of law. It is suggested in international constitutional theory that instead of a dichotomy between national and international law we are now increasingly seeing forms of combination, overlapping and interdependence between several constitutional levels of law.
This course seeks to present and to discuss these questions. Particular emphasis is put on a presentation and discussion of the constitutional character of the EU/EC treaties. The EEA treaty will also be presented. This is partly because these treaties presently are the most comprehensive international treaties seen from the point of view of the nation-states and their regulatory traditions, but also partly because there is a rich legal literature here. There will also be contributions discussing how the evolution of an increasing europeanization and internationalization has influenced the legal concepts of sovereignty, democracy and nation-state, and more comprehensively the concepts and the discourse of constitutions and constitutionality.
The concept of citizenship will be discussed within the new and more international constitutional framework. The evolution of a more international and European orientation of the European nation-states will be put into a historical perspective in one contribution. There will also be articles discussing normative aspects of this evolution and how it should be described legally, institutionally and normatively. The course will thus have its profile within a law-in-context tradition attempting to describe the evolution of new legal processes and structures in the constitutional area in a combined legal, institutional and normative way.
Learning outcome
The course is designed to give the students a deeper insight into the current changes of international and European law in the direction of forming more comprehensive regimes, applying supranational legal forms, applying international courts and thus also of attaining the qualities of constitutional legal systems. The course will also give an introduction to the theories of democracy which are relevant to the new constitutional levels.
Admission
You may register for this course if you have admission to a Master’s programme at UiO or the faculty's exchange programme. You can also register for this course if you do not have admission to any programme at UiO, but meet the formal prerequistites.
All students are required meet the formal prerequistites.
Have you met the formal prerequisites at another institution than the University of Oslo, and the results are not formally registered at UiO, you must apply for admission to courses at Master’s level . Students with admission to Master’s degree programmes at other faculties than The Faculty of Law must also apply for admission.
When your admission is in order you must register for courses in StudentWeb
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Students must fill one of these requirements:
- Passed 1st - 3rd year of studies in Master's of Law (masterstudiet i rettsvitenskap at UiO) or examinations that qualify for exemption from these) or
- Having a 5-years Master’s degree in Laws (masterstudiet i rettsvitenskap at UiO) or equivalent.
Students with admission to the faculty’s exchange programme and students with admission to any master’s degree programme at the University of Oslo (except masterstudiet i rettsvitenskap) has an exemption from the formal prerequisites.
Recommended previous knowledge
Three years of law studies.
Overlapping courses
10 credits overlap with VALINTCOLD - International Constitutional Law and Democracy (discontinued), 10 credits overlap with JUXINTCOLD - International Constitutional Law and Democracy (discontinued), 10 credits overlap with JUTINTCOLD - International Constitutional Law and Democracy (discontinued), 10 credits overlap with PILINTCOLD - International Constitutional Law and Democracy (discontinued), 10 credits overlap with JUR1560 - International Constitutional Law and Democracy (BA) and 10 credits overlap with JUR5560 - International Constitutional Law and Democracy (discontinued).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.
Examination
4 hour written examination.
Examination support material
Regulations for support materials permitted at examination for courses taught in English . Please read all three chapters.
Language of examination
The language of examination for this course is English. This means that the examination question will be given in English, and students may answer in English only.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
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 can sit for this exam up to 3 times. If a student wishes to withdraw from the exam, s/he must do this 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 for the exam. A study programme may have rules that further limit the number of times a student may re-take this exam. In such instances the rules of the study programme will have priority.
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 Master 's level. The subject is also taught at Bachelor's level (15 ECTS credits), see JUR1560 - International Constitutional Law and Democracy (BA). Please see the chapter above, regarding overlap. For instances of overlap, credits will be deducted on the subject at Bachelors's level.