LAU44001 COMPARATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate specialised, self-directed knowledge of an area of law through examination of a ‘real-life’ legal research problem or a theme within a research group.
• Collaborate with peers and act in leadership roles.
• Constructively evaluate the work of others.
• Synthesise and evaluate a variety of legal research methods, legal sources, findings and analysis.
• Critically analyse an area of law through independent research.
• Consult with and respond to the needs of research users.
• Effectively communicate research findings.

Module Content

In critiquing a constitutional order, it is instructive to examine comparable legal systems and consider how different approaches to the same constitutional issues are resolved.

Inquiries into the proper role of the three branches of government within the separation of powers; what rights should be protected; how to ensure rights are protected; how to amend a constitution, etc., all can be clarified by considering the experience of other jurisdictions. However, the usefulness of comparative study can also be dependent upon choosing comparators wisely, to avoid making false equivalences between vastly different legal orders.

In this research group, we will undergo a comparative analysis of the constitutions of two legal systems as they pertain to a specific aspect of their constitutions. We will consider what lessons can be learnt from the jurisdictions we analyse, and what this can tell us about constitutional law more broadly.

Assessment Details

• Individual Project: 85%
• Group Presentation: 15%
• Reflective Journal: Pass/Fail
• Participation: Pass/Fail