Магистратура 2020/2021

Судебные подходы к балансированию прав: современные вызовы

Лучший по критерию «Полезность курса для Вашей будущей карьеры»

Лучший по критерию «Полезность курса для расширения кругозора и разностороннего развития»

Лучший по критерию «Новизна полученных знаний»

Статус: Курс по выбору (Публичное право)

Направление: 40.04.01. Юриспруденция

Кто читает: Департамент публичного права

Где читается: Факультет права

Когда читается: 1-й курс, 3, 4 модуль

Формат изучения: без онлайн-курса

Преподаватели: Храмова Татьяна Михайловна

Прогр. обучения: Публичное право

Язык: английский

Кредиты: 3

Контактные часы: 40

Course Syllabus

Abstract

Constitutional courts in democratic countries are often confronted with the need to strike a fair balance between fundamental rights and interests of the general public. What doctrines and theories may assist the courts in reconciling conflicting rights and interests? The course “Judicial approaches to balancing rights: current challenges” is devoted to exploring the jurisprudence on constitutional rights’ restrictions that aim at countering such paramount contemporary threats, as terrorism, extremism, global pandemic, economic crisis, etc. It develops the students’ critical thinking by engaging them in a thorough comparison of possible solutions to highly controversial legal dilemmas. The course advances the students’ abilities to generate compelling legal arguments, mitigate conflicts, draw on the doctrines and principles of constitutional law for a comparative analysis of related problems. The course is designed particularly for students interested in performing comparative research and/or fancying a career in constitutional and human rights litigation, in legislative or judicial bodies. The course is conducted in English.

Learning Objectives

• The course aims at enabling the students to perform a critical comparative analysis of legal texts (court decisions, legislative acts, international treaties) related to restrictions of fundamental rights. Specific goals of the course are: • to examine major constitutional doctrines and techniques related to striking a balance between fundamental rights and legitimate public interests; • to compare and reflect upon alternative approaches of constitutional courts and the European Court of Human Rights to assessing the proportionality of restrictions of certain constitutional rights; • to enable the students to formulate and substantiate arguments favouring or opposing specific restrictions of rights; to find legal solutions for matters of high controversy using the inferences of comparative constitutional analysis.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Be able to explain the concepts of balancing, proportionality, hierarchy of constitutional values, constitutional identity, popular sovereignty, militant democracy, illiberal democracy, populism, emergency constitution;
• Be able to critically examine the application of theoretical concepts in the actual cases across constitutional jurisdictions;
• Be able to substantiate legal arguments on issues of high controversy in cases that involve balancing fundamental rights against such public interests as fighting terrorism and extremism, protecting constitutional identity, overcoming the global pandemic, dealing with financial crisis, etc.;
• Be able to professionally communicate – in both oral and written forms – a possible solution to a legal controversy that involves balancing (in English).

Course Contents

• Balancing rights and public interests: a comparative approach
  Introduction to comparative method. Robert Alexy’s theory of constitutional rights. Proportionality and balancing. What comprises and who defines a public interest? Are all needs of the society legitimate public interests? Methodology and formula of balancing. Advantages and pitfalls of balancing.
• Constitutional rights in the face of terrorism
  Terrorism and extremism as threats to a contemporary society. War on terror and balancing in times of stress. Doctrines of constitutional self-defence and militant democracy. Reconciling constitutional rights and counter-terrorism measures. Do terrorists have rights?
• Constitutional rights in the face of a global pandemic
  Constitutions and emergency regimes. Pandemic as a type of emergency. Balancing constitutional rights against the state obligation to protect public health: lessons from COVID-19 jurisprudence.
• Constitutional rights in the era of populism
  Illiberal democracy, populism and “refined” constitutionalism: experience of Central and Eastern Europe. Constitutional identity: national and international dimensions. Constitutional rights in illiberal democracies: the role of constitutional courts.
• Constitutional rights in the face of financial crisis
  Is financial crisis an excuse to limit fundamental rights? Balancing social and economic rights against public interests in stabilizing the economy. The doctrine of positive obligations of the state in times of economic downfall.
• Judicial dialogue on approaches to balancing rights and public interests
  Constitutional borrowing. References to foreign law and jurisprudence in constitutional adjudication. Round table.

Assessment Elements

• Class participation
• Moot court
• Round table
• Exam
  Экзамен проводится с использованием дистанционных технологий

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (4 module)
  0.2 * Class participation + 0.4 * Exam + 0.2 * Moot court + 0.2 * Round table

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Ackerman, B. A. (2006). Before the Next Attack : Preserving Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism. Yale University Press.
• Barak, A. (2012). Proportionality : Constitutional Rights and Their Limitations. Cambridge University Press.
• Kontiadēs, X. I. (2013). Constitutions in the Global Financial Crisis : A Comparative Analysis. Routledge.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Aharon Barak. (2006). The Judge in a Democracy. Princeton University Press.
• Fundamental rights in Europe: Challenges and transformations in comparative perspective. (2014). Oxford University Press.
• JACKSON, V. C. (2015). Constitutional Law in an Age of Proportionality. Yale Law Journal, 124(8), 3094–3196. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=asn&AN=103280826
• САЗОННИКОВА Е.В. (2016). Актуальные Тенденции Избирательного Законодательства. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.4BB2726