1
CONLAW EXAM
Introducton.................................................................................................................................................4
Narrow/formal vs. Broad/substantve.................................................................................................4
Consttuton basic terms......................................................................................................................5
Terminology.........................................................................................................................................5
Abusive consttutonalismm sham consttutonsm aspiratonal consttutons.........................................6
The consttuent power: foundaton of consttuton making................................................................7
The process of consttutonomaking: questons about inclusiveness...................................................7
Substance of consttuton making........................................................................................................8
Unamendability...................................................................................................................................8
Forms of state and systems of governmentm the law of democracy............................................................8
Federalismm regionalizaton and decentralizaton....................................................................................8
Different forms of state vvertcal):.......................................................................................................8
Why federalism?..................................................................................................................................9
Artcle Anna aamper: A ‘’gglobal theory of federalism’g’g.....................................................................10
Federalism in USAm aermany and South Africa......................................................................................10
South Africa.......................................................................................................................................10
The United States..............................................................................................................................10
aermany............................................................................................................................................11
The UK...............................................................................................................................................11
France................................................................................................................................................11
The Netherlands.................................................................................................................................11
The European Union..........................................................................................................................12
Parliamentary vs presidental government............................................................................................12
Tasks of parliament............................................................................................................................12
Electons.............................................................................................................................................12
Bicameralism.....................................................................................................................................13
Systems of government of UKm USA and France....................................................................................14
System of government United States................................................................................................14
System of government aermany.......................................................................................................15
System of government France...........................................................................................................16
System of government UK.................................................................................................................17
1
, 2
aovernmentsm parliaments head of states US....................................................................................18
aovernmentsm parliamentsm head of state UK....................................................................................19
aovernmentsm parliamentsm heads of state France............................................................................20
The law of democracy............................................................................................................................21
Systems of judicial review..........................................................................................................................24
Judicial review and consttutonal review: theories and alternatves....................................................24
What is judicial review.......................................................................................................................24
Arguments for and against judicial review.........................................................................................24
The different types of consttutonal review in countries how they are set...................................24
Review of treaty law compliance.......................................................................................................25
European Union law..........................................................................................................................26
Extra artcle: The origins of Judicial Reviewm Steven a. Calabresi.......................................................26
Judicial review: aermany vs USA...........................................................................................................27
The Court System of the US...............................................................................................................27
Consttutonal review in the US.........................................................................................................27
Internatonal treates for JR in US......................................................................................................28
Court system of aermany..................................................................................................................28
Consttutonal review in aermany.....................................................................................................29
Internatonal treates and ECHR: aermany........................................................................................29
Judicial review: France vs UK.................................................................................................................30
UK: The court system.........................................................................................................................30
UK: Consttutonal review..................................................................................................................30
UK: internatonal treates and ECHR..................................................................................................30
UK: European Union Law...................................................................................................................30
France: Court system.........................................................................................................................30
France: Consttutonal review............................................................................................................31
France: Internatonal treates and the ECHR......................................................................................31
France: European Union Law.............................................................................................................31
Extra artcle: New judicial review in lld Europem Alyssa S. Kingm how EU judicial review caused the
uprising of popular judicial review.....................................................................................................31
Fundamental rights....................................................................................................................................32
Internatonal and European human rights protecton...........................................................................32
The European Union..........................................................................................................................32
2
, 3
EU Courts...........................................................................................................................................32
Natonal Courts and EU......................................................................................................................32
EU Charter of fundamental rights......................................................................................................33
European Human Rights....................................................................................................................33
ECHRm EU and Natonal consttutons and its problems.....................................................................34
Extra artcle: multlevel EU Protecton...............................................................................................34
Consttutonal change................................................................................................................................35
Formal and informal consttutonal change...........................................................................................35
Challenge of consttutonal amendments..........................................................................................35
Formal consttutonal amendment....................................................................................................35
Informal consttutonal amendment..................................................................................................36
Natonalm European and alobal consttutonalism.....................................................................................37
Unconsttutonal consttutonal amendments.......................................................................................37
Rule of law protecton: the case of the European Union.......................................................................38
3
, 4
CONLAW
Exam semester I
GOALS
The course aims for students to:
1. Have a solid knowledge of the following main concepts of consttutonal law as they occur in the
UKm USAm Francem and aermany varoup A) and basic knowledge of the variaton that exists in
their operatonalizaton across all legal and politcal systems: Rule of Lawm Rechtsstaatm
Federalismm Protecton of the rights and freedoms of individualsm Proportonalitym Democracym
Transparency
2. Understand different theoretcal perspectves on federalismm systems of governmentm and
systems of judicial reviewm and be able to apply these two countries listed above as ‘aroup A’gm as
well as the Netherlandsm Belgiumm SouthoAfricam Singaporem and the EU specifcally varoup B) and
the global level
3. Be able to use illustratons from and show awareness of recent developments in the
consttutonal systems of the systems mentoned abovem as well as Canadam Afghanistanm Israelm
Hungarym Icelandm Brazilm China and Turkey varoup C) – in as far as discussed in the materials or in
class.
4. Be effectve in searching various sources of legal informaton vconsttutonsm legislatonm case lawm
booksm journalsm newspapersm the internet) to characterize and analyze specifc public insttutons
across systems;
5. Be able to incorporate the skills and knowledge as described 1o4 above in strategies to solve
concrete problems.
Book: rood: informaton over landen
Introduction
Why comparing consttutonal laaw
1. Not taking features of our own legal system for granted
2. Provide helpful material for consttuton building and consttutonal engineering
3. Comparatve consttutonal law is crucial in the context of the creaton and development of
internatonal organizatons
Narrow/formal vs. Broad/substantive
A consttuton can have a narrow or formal meaning and a broad or substantve meaning.
Narrow/formal: consttuton is central writen document setng out basic rules applying to government
of socioopolitcal enttes.
Broad/substantve: a consttuton comprises the entre body of fundamental rules that govern socioo
politcal entty: be they contained in a central document or in many documents.
2 branches
1. Insttutonal law
aoverning the way how the state and its insttutons functon velectonsm parliamentm powers)
2. Human rights
Protectng the citzen against the state Regulatng relatons between public authority and the
individual.
4
CONLAW EXAM
Introducton.................................................................................................................................................4
Narrow/formal vs. Broad/substantve.................................................................................................4
Consttuton basic terms......................................................................................................................5
Terminology.........................................................................................................................................5
Abusive consttutonalismm sham consttutonsm aspiratonal consttutons.........................................6
The consttuent power: foundaton of consttuton making................................................................7
The process of consttutonomaking: questons about inclusiveness...................................................7
Substance of consttuton making........................................................................................................8
Unamendability...................................................................................................................................8
Forms of state and systems of governmentm the law of democracy............................................................8
Federalismm regionalizaton and decentralizaton....................................................................................8
Different forms of state vvertcal):.......................................................................................................8
Why federalism?..................................................................................................................................9
Artcle Anna aamper: A ‘’gglobal theory of federalism’g’g.....................................................................10
Federalism in USAm aermany and South Africa......................................................................................10
South Africa.......................................................................................................................................10
The United States..............................................................................................................................10
aermany............................................................................................................................................11
The UK...............................................................................................................................................11
France................................................................................................................................................11
The Netherlands.................................................................................................................................11
The European Union..........................................................................................................................12
Parliamentary vs presidental government............................................................................................12
Tasks of parliament............................................................................................................................12
Electons.............................................................................................................................................12
Bicameralism.....................................................................................................................................13
Systems of government of UKm USA and France....................................................................................14
System of government United States................................................................................................14
System of government aermany.......................................................................................................15
System of government France...........................................................................................................16
System of government UK.................................................................................................................17
1
, 2
aovernmentsm parliaments head of states US....................................................................................18
aovernmentsm parliamentsm head of state UK....................................................................................19
aovernmentsm parliamentsm heads of state France............................................................................20
The law of democracy............................................................................................................................21
Systems of judicial review..........................................................................................................................24
Judicial review and consttutonal review: theories and alternatves....................................................24
What is judicial review.......................................................................................................................24
Arguments for and against judicial review.........................................................................................24
The different types of consttutonal review in countries how they are set...................................24
Review of treaty law compliance.......................................................................................................25
European Union law..........................................................................................................................26
Extra artcle: The origins of Judicial Reviewm Steven a. Calabresi.......................................................26
Judicial review: aermany vs USA...........................................................................................................27
The Court System of the US...............................................................................................................27
Consttutonal review in the US.........................................................................................................27
Internatonal treates for JR in US......................................................................................................28
Court system of aermany..................................................................................................................28
Consttutonal review in aermany.....................................................................................................29
Internatonal treates and ECHR: aermany........................................................................................29
Judicial review: France vs UK.................................................................................................................30
UK: The court system.........................................................................................................................30
UK: Consttutonal review..................................................................................................................30
UK: internatonal treates and ECHR..................................................................................................30
UK: European Union Law...................................................................................................................30
France: Court system.........................................................................................................................30
France: Consttutonal review............................................................................................................31
France: Internatonal treates and the ECHR......................................................................................31
France: European Union Law.............................................................................................................31
Extra artcle: New judicial review in lld Europem Alyssa S. Kingm how EU judicial review caused the
uprising of popular judicial review.....................................................................................................31
Fundamental rights....................................................................................................................................32
Internatonal and European human rights protecton...........................................................................32
The European Union..........................................................................................................................32
2
, 3
EU Courts...........................................................................................................................................32
Natonal Courts and EU......................................................................................................................32
EU Charter of fundamental rights......................................................................................................33
European Human Rights....................................................................................................................33
ECHRm EU and Natonal consttutons and its problems.....................................................................34
Extra artcle: multlevel EU Protecton...............................................................................................34
Consttutonal change................................................................................................................................35
Formal and informal consttutonal change...........................................................................................35
Challenge of consttutonal amendments..........................................................................................35
Formal consttutonal amendment....................................................................................................35
Informal consttutonal amendment..................................................................................................36
Natonalm European and alobal consttutonalism.....................................................................................37
Unconsttutonal consttutonal amendments.......................................................................................37
Rule of law protecton: the case of the European Union.......................................................................38
3
, 4
CONLAW
Exam semester I
GOALS
The course aims for students to:
1. Have a solid knowledge of the following main concepts of consttutonal law as they occur in the
UKm USAm Francem and aermany varoup A) and basic knowledge of the variaton that exists in
their operatonalizaton across all legal and politcal systems: Rule of Lawm Rechtsstaatm
Federalismm Protecton of the rights and freedoms of individualsm Proportonalitym Democracym
Transparency
2. Understand different theoretcal perspectves on federalismm systems of governmentm and
systems of judicial reviewm and be able to apply these two countries listed above as ‘aroup A’gm as
well as the Netherlandsm Belgiumm SouthoAfricam Singaporem and the EU specifcally varoup B) and
the global level
3. Be able to use illustratons from and show awareness of recent developments in the
consttutonal systems of the systems mentoned abovem as well as Canadam Afghanistanm Israelm
Hungarym Icelandm Brazilm China and Turkey varoup C) – in as far as discussed in the materials or in
class.
4. Be effectve in searching various sources of legal informaton vconsttutonsm legislatonm case lawm
booksm journalsm newspapersm the internet) to characterize and analyze specifc public insttutons
across systems;
5. Be able to incorporate the skills and knowledge as described 1o4 above in strategies to solve
concrete problems.
Book: rood: informaton over landen
Introduction
Why comparing consttutonal laaw
1. Not taking features of our own legal system for granted
2. Provide helpful material for consttuton building and consttutonal engineering
3. Comparatve consttutonal law is crucial in the context of the creaton and development of
internatonal organizatons
Narrow/formal vs. Broad/substantive
A consttuton can have a narrow or formal meaning and a broad or substantve meaning.
Narrow/formal: consttuton is central writen document setng out basic rules applying to government
of socioopolitcal enttes.
Broad/substantve: a consttuton comprises the entre body of fundamental rules that govern socioo
politcal entty: be they contained in a central document or in many documents.
2 branches
1. Insttutonal law
aoverning the way how the state and its insttutons functon velectonsm parliamentm powers)
2. Human rights
Protectng the citzen against the state Regulatng relatons between public authority and the
individual.
4
