Checking date: 17/11/2021


Course: 2021/2022

Theory of Law
(13211)
Bachelor in Political Science (Plan: 396 - Estudio: 205)


Coordinating teacher: DORADO PORRAS, JAVIER

Department assigned to the subject: International Law, Ecclesiastical Law and Philosophy of Law Department

Type: Basic Core
ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:

Branch of knowledge: Social Sciences and Law



Objectives
1. Consciousness of Law as a system to regulate social relations 2. Consciousness of the Legal Systema as whole and consciuosness of the necessary interdisciplinary approach to legal problems 3. Ability to use different legal texts (Acts, Bills, judgements and rulings, teaching texts) 4. Ability to use principles and constitutional values in the interpretation of legal system 5. Ability to use a legal oratory and to do public speaking 6. Critic consciousness in analyzing legal system and ability to develop legal dialectics 7. Commitment to ethical values and principles 8. Comprehension and knowlege of the main private and public institutions in their origin and as a whole 9- Knowledge of the sociological approach to the analysis of Law, both from theoretical and practical points of wiew.
Skills and learning outcomes
Description of contents: programme
This subject is the first approach of the student to legal phenomenon from a more abstract and philosophical point of view than the one used in the typical subjects of the legal dogmatic. The programme is as follows Lesson 1.- The concept of Law A.- Problems about the concept of law B.- Validity, efficacy and Justice Lesson 2.- Law as a social and cultural phenomenon and as a form of social organization A.- Law and social control B.- Law and social change Lesson 3.- Law and other normative systems A.- Rules of social treatment and their description B.- Law and Morals C.- Public ethics and private ethics Lesson 4.- Law and Force A.- Law, force and Power B.- The rule of law Lesson 5.- The Legal norm A.- Law and Language. Functions of language. B.- Types of norms. The legal norm as a prescriptive clause. Elements of prescriptions C.- Classification of legal norms. Lección 6.- The legal system A.- The idea of legal system. B.- The features of the legal system Lesson 7.- Law production. A.- Normative production B.- . Legal law and judicial law C.- Other ways of legal production. Lesson 8.- Interpretation and implementation of law A.- Interpretation and implementation of law. B.- Interpretation criteria. C.- Constitutional interpretation. D.- Legal argumentation.
Learning activities and methodology
The methedology will include: 1.- Lectures (big group): Every lessons of the programme will be taught in lectures, although lecturers will pay special attention to those parts considered more important or thouse that, due to their difficulty, deserve a wider explanation. A handbook of the subject will be recommended to make easier the student¿s work and all the materials considered suitable will be posted online through ¿Aula Global¿ 2.- Seminars (small group): Seminars will be used to go into different parts of the subject in depth through the solution of different cases, commentaries, etc. All the materials considered suitable will be posted online through ¿Aula Global¿ This will be the tutorships regime: Individual Tutorships: Each teacher responsible of a group, will state in aula global a timetable of individual tutorships of at least 1 hour per week, showing the date, time and place of them. Collective tutorships: Aditionally, there are two different means of collective tutorships complementary to the individual tutorships. a) Tutorships in classroom: The teachers of the small groups will carry out at least one session (and four as maximum) of collective tutorships in classroom with the students as a whole. The Teachers will include these tutorships in the tutorships schedule of Aula global, showing the date, time and place. b) Consultation session: Moreover, the teacher will be able to make consultation sessions with the students as a whole, along the terme, periodically or sporadically. These consultation sessions can be carried out by the teacher responsible of the group or assistant lecturers or research fellows of the department. In any case, the teachers will include in aula global the date, time and place of the consultation sessions.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination 40
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 60
Calendar of Continuous assessment
Basic Bibliography
  • Bix, B., (2004). A Dictionary of Legal Theory. Oxford University Press, Oxford .
  • Coleman, J. and Shapiro, S. (2002). The Oxford Handbook of Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law. Oxford University Press, Oxford .
  • Cotterrell, R. (2006). Law, Culture and Society: Legal Ideas in the Mirror of Social Theory. Ashgate, Aldershot.
  • Dworkin, R. (1977):. Taking Rights seriously. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (Mass.) .
  • George, R.P. (ed.) (2003):. Natural Law. Aldershot, Dartmouth .
  • Golding, M.P. (ed.) (2005):. The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Law and Legal Theory. Blackwell, Oxford .
  • Hart, H.L.A. (1994):. The Concept of Law, 2ª ed.,. Clarendon Press, Oxford .
  • Himma, K.E. and Bix, B. (eds.) (2005):. Law and Morality. Ashgate, Burlington .
  • Kelsen, H. (2002):. Pure Theory of Law. Lawbook Exchange, New Jersey .
  • Kelsen, H. (2007):. General Theory of Law and State. Lawbook Exchange, New Jersey .
  • Lyons, D. (1993):. Moral Aspects of Legal Theory: Essays on Law, Justice and Political Responsibility. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
  • McLeod, T.I. (2007):. Legal Theory. Palgrave McMillan, Hampshire .
  • Murphy, M.C. (2007):. Philosophy of Law. The fundamentals. Blackwell, Oxford .
  • Patterson, D. (ed.) (2002):. Philosophy of Law and Legal Theory: An Anthology. Blackwell, Malden .
  • Posner, R.A. (1996):. Law and Legal Theory in England and America. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
  • Sadurski, W. (ed.) (1991):. Ethical Dimensions of Legal Theory. Rodopi, Amsterdam .
  • Sarat, A. and Kearns, T.R. (eds.) (1996):. Justice and Injustice in Law and Legal Theory. The University of Michigan Press, Michigan .
  • Summers, R.S. (ed.) (1992):. American Legal Theory. Aldershot, Dartmouth .
  • Wacks, R. (2005):. Understanding Jurisprudence: An Introduction to Legal Theory. Oxford University Press, Oxford .

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.