Comparative Public Law
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The course aims at providing students with the method, tools and categories of comparative law to be applied to understand, from a diachronic and synchronic point of view, the legal traditions and the variety of forms of State, forms of Government and centre-periphery relations (included secession processes) of countries belonging to different geopolitical areas and sharing different concepts of Constitution. Therefore particular attention will also be paid to the crisis of constitutionalism and to new conceptual categories, such as "abusive constitutionalism", "authoritarian constitutionalism", "hybrid constitutionalism" and "unstable constitutionalism", with a view to studying new phenomena regarding the legal transplant of human rights protection and the separation of powers principles only in nominal terms.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students will have a fundamental knowledge of the different types of Constitutions from a comparative perspective and a good understanding of the various forms of State, forms of Government and centre-periphery relations in the leading countries belonging to specific geopolitical areas. Thanks to their active participation in lectures, students will develop good critical analysis and communication skills in the field of comparative public law. They will be able to apply the comparative method to new case studies, primarily to assess the impact of constitutional changes on international relations and vice versa.
Lesson period: First trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First trimester
Course syllabus
Attending students:
The course consists of two modules.
The first module is devoted to the analysis and discussion of:
- the methodologies of comparative public law;
- the classification of legal systems;
- the classification of forms of state (the feudal society, the absolute state, the liberal state, the democratic pluralistic state, the caring state, the totalitarian and authoritarian states, the socialist state, theocracies and constitutional theocracies, illiberal democracies);
- the classification of forms of government (constitutional monarchy, parliamentary, presidential, semi-presidential/premier-presidential), president-parliamentary, prime ministerial, directorial);
The second module is dedicated to:
- the classification of types of state (federal, regional, devolution);
- secession and referenda;
- constitution making processes;
- the meaning of the constitution;
- the protection of the constitution;
- abusive constitutionalism in theory and practice.
Non-attending students:
- the methodologies of comparative public law;
- the spread of the idea of constitutionalism and the liberal form of State;
- the development of different forms of government and center-periphery relations (federal, regional, devolution) within the liberal, democratic and social-democratic form of state;
- the protection of the constitution;
- classification of forms of state "others" than liberal and social democracies;
- abusive constitutionalism in theory and practice.
The course consists of two modules.
The first module is devoted to the analysis and discussion of:
- the methodologies of comparative public law;
- the classification of legal systems;
- the classification of forms of state (the feudal society, the absolute state, the liberal state, the democratic pluralistic state, the caring state, the totalitarian and authoritarian states, the socialist state, theocracies and constitutional theocracies, illiberal democracies);
- the classification of forms of government (constitutional monarchy, parliamentary, presidential, semi-presidential/premier-presidential), president-parliamentary, prime ministerial, directorial);
The second module is dedicated to:
- the classification of types of state (federal, regional, devolution);
- secession and referenda;
- constitution making processes;
- the meaning of the constitution;
- the protection of the constitution;
- abusive constitutionalism in theory and practice.
Non-attending students:
- the methodologies of comparative public law;
- the spread of the idea of constitutionalism and the liberal form of State;
- the development of different forms of government and center-periphery relations (federal, regional, devolution) within the liberal, democratic and social-democratic form of state;
- the protection of the constitution;
- classification of forms of state "others" than liberal and social democracies;
- abusive constitutionalism in theory and practice.
Prerequisites for admission
Public law
Teaching methods
The course consists of frontal lectures to provide the basic knowledge of comparative methodologies and the fundamental categories of comparative public/constitutional law as well as in the active involvement of students. For this purpose, at the end of the second module, the "flipped class" method will also be applied, thus allowing the students to present, analyze and discuss specific case studies concerning relevant constitutional issues from a comparative perspective.
Teaching Resources
Attending students
First module:
S. Ragone, G. Smorto, Comparative Law: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford Academic, 2023, pp. 17-65 (chpts. 2 and 3), pp. 66-79 (chpt. 4) pp. 106-125 (chpt. 6);
G. Ferrari, Introduction to Italian Public Law, Giuffré, 2022, pp. 33-56.
Second module:
R. Bifulco, Federalism, in R. Masterman, R. Schütze (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Comparative Constitutional Law, Cambridge University Press, 2019, pp. 312-332;
C. Saunders, Courts with Constitutional Jurisdiction, in R. Masterman, R. Schütze (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Comparative Constitutional Law, Cambridge University Press, 2019, pp. 414-440;
C. Klein, A. Sajó, Constitution-Making: Process and Substance, in M. Rosenfeld, A. Sajó (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Constitutional Law, Oxford University Press, 2012, pp. 419-440;
M. Böckenförde, Constitutional Amendment
Procedures, International Idea, 2014, 1-23, in
https://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/constitutional-amendment-procedures.
Non-attending students:
G. de Vergottini, Constitutional Law and the Comparative Method, in J. Cremades, C. Hermida (eds), Encyclopedia of Contemporary Constitutionalism, Springer, Cham. 2021, pp. 1-42.
A. Buratti, Western Constitutionalism. History, Institutions, Comparative Law, Second Edition, Giappichelli-Springer, Torino, 2023, pp. 1-251 (chpts. 1-6) and pp. 299-323 (chpt. 8).
R. Dixon, D. Landau, Abusive Constitutional Borrowing: Legal Globalization and the Subversion of Liberal Democracy, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021, pp. 1-55.
First module:
S. Ragone, G. Smorto, Comparative Law: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford Academic, 2023, pp. 17-65 (chpts. 2 and 3), pp. 66-79 (chpt. 4) pp. 106-125 (chpt. 6);
G. Ferrari, Introduction to Italian Public Law, Giuffré, 2022, pp. 33-56.
Second module:
R. Bifulco, Federalism, in R. Masterman, R. Schütze (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Comparative Constitutional Law, Cambridge University Press, 2019, pp. 312-332;
C. Saunders, Courts with Constitutional Jurisdiction, in R. Masterman, R. Schütze (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Comparative Constitutional Law, Cambridge University Press, 2019, pp. 414-440;
C. Klein, A. Sajó, Constitution-Making: Process and Substance, in M. Rosenfeld, A. Sajó (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Constitutional Law, Oxford University Press, 2012, pp. 419-440;
M. Böckenförde, Constitutional Amendment
Procedures, International Idea, 2014, 1-23, in
https://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/constitutional-amendment-procedures.
Non-attending students:
G. de Vergottini, Constitutional Law and the Comparative Method, in J. Cremades, C. Hermida (eds), Encyclopedia of Contemporary Constitutionalism, Springer, Cham. 2021, pp. 1-42.
A. Buratti, Western Constitutionalism. History, Institutions, Comparative Law, Second Edition, Giappichelli-Springer, Torino, 2023, pp. 1-251 (chpts. 1-6) and pp. 299-323 (chpt. 8).
R. Dixon, D. Landau, Abusive Constitutional Borrowing: Legal Globalization and the Subversion of Liberal Democracy, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021, pp. 1-55.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Attending students
The final oral exam consists of two questions concerning the content of the first module and two questions concerning the content of the second module. The presentation and the discussion of case studies during the "flipped class" will be awarded the addition of 1 or 1,5 points to the grade obtained at the oral exam.
Non-attending students
The final oral exam consists of three questions concerning the content of the first module and three questions concerning the content of the second module.
The final oral exam consists of two questions concerning the content of the first module and two questions concerning the content of the second module. The presentation and the discussion of case studies during the "flipped class" will be awarded the addition of 1 or 1,5 points to the grade obtained at the oral exam.
Non-attending students
The final oral exam consists of three questions concerning the content of the first module and three questions concerning the content of the second module.
IUS/21 - COMPARATIVE PUBLIC LAW - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Filippini Caterina
Professor(s)
Reception:
Room 6