Insegnamento a.a. 2025-2026

30323 - LAW (MODULE II - INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN LAW)

Department of Law

code 30322 ‘Law - Module 1 (Comparative public law)’ and code 30323 ‘Law - Module 2 (International and European law)’ are respectively the first and the second module of the course code 30321 ‘Law’;

Student consultation hours
Class timetable
Exam timetable

Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 44
BIG (6 credits - II sem. - OB  |  IUS/13)
Course Director:
MARIA PAOLA MARIANI

Classes: 44 (II sem.)
Instructors:
Class 44: MARIA PAOLA MARIANI


Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

The course is an introduction to Public International law and European Union law for political science students. It focuses on the legal structures underpinning international relations, covering selected topics to provide the basic concepts for understanding the nature and function of International Law and EU Law. Students will deepen their understanding of the complex legal framework governing international and European affairs, shaping contemporary international politics and global governance.

CONTENT SUMMARY

  • The making and sources of International Law.
  • Subjects of International Law.
  • Responsibility in International Law.
  • Settlement of disputes and enforcement of International law: the return of sovereignism and use of force
  • The crisis of post-Second World War international law: the restoration of aggressive use of force in territorial disputes.
  • The EU as a supranational organisation.
  • The EU as an autonomous legal order.
  • The impact of EU law and International Law in domestic systems.
  • The law of the internal market: the fundamental freedoms.
  • The crisis of the rule of law and supranational cooperation in Europe.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Define the key sources of International Law and the relationship between them.
  • Distinguish the subjects of International Law.
  • Identify the mechanisms for dispute settlement in International Law and their limitations.
  • Explain the concept of a Supranational Organisation.
  • Recognise the evolution of the EU legal order.
  • Recognise how EU law and International Law interact with national legal systems.
  • Describe the internal market and its fundamental freedoms.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Define the key sources of International Law and their relationship.
  • Distinguish the subjects of International Law.
  • Identify the mechanisms for dispute settlement in International Law and their limitations.
  • Distinguish International organisations from Supranational organisations.
  • Understand the evolution of the EU legal order.
  • Comprehend how EU law and International Law interact with national legal systems.
  • Apprehend the internal market and its fundamental freedoms legal regulation.

Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Collaborative Works / Assignments

DETAILS

Reading and discussing key critical cases in International and EU Law are intended to develop students’ skills in the concrete application of legal rules. 


Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
  x x
  • Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
x    
  • Peer evaluation
x    

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

The written exam, the key component of the assessment, includes two case studies: one in International law and one in EU Law. The case studies are designed to test students’ analytical and problem-solving skills. The exam is closed-book (no materials are allowed for reference or consultation).
Students can choose to split the exam into a mid-term and an end-of-term written exam, each carrying a 50% weight. Alternatively, they can take a final written exam that accounts for 100% of the final grade. 
Group activities, allowed for attending students, have an impact on the final evaluation.


Teaching materials


ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Cecil Rose et al., An Introduction to Public International Law, Cambridge University Press, last edition.

Elise Muir, An Introduction to the EU Legal Order, Cambridge University Press, last edition.

Students shall also study the compulsory materials uploaded on the blackboard for each lecture. 

Last change 21/11/2025 13:00