Law

Teacher(s)

Bernard Diane;

Language

French

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

handle « basic knowledge in fields complementary to [the disciplines chosen as a specialization by students] », in particular draw on (i) « knowledge from various fields of the humanities [here, law] in order to analyze contemporary or historically situated social phenomena » and (ii) « a general grounding in the humanities and social sciences, based on knowledge of the main postulates and teachings of the different disciplines, as well as their methods and the ethical issues associated with them »; « produce an independent analysis »; « analyse data », here by effectively working with a compilation of normative provisions ; to a lesser extent, « master written […] communication ». These learning outcomes correspond to the reference framework of the programs chosen by students, as established by their Faculty. The course is designed around the idea that a basic understanding of law is essential for any citizen or member of the public, in general, and that it holds particular relevance for university students specifically, insofar as law constitutes a thoroughly pervasive mode of social regulation in the political sphere and in our private lives.

Content

In keeping with the learning objectives outlined above, this course aims to provide students with an overview of legal phenomena and to familiarize them with fundamental legal concepts.
Following an introductory distinction between the notions of natural law, objective law, and rights, the course consists more specifically of an overview of the sources underpinning the Belgian legal order. It examines the modes of creation, normative force, and review mechanisms of the Constitution, legislation, « règlements », case law, general principles of law, custom, legal scholarship, contracts, and soft law, as well as some elements of European and international law.
Since the course is intended for students who have chosen to specialize in other fields, it also includes the analysis of non-legal sources through a legal lens (press articles, political statements, or sociological studies, for example).

Teaching methods

The course is delivered ex cathedra, in a large lecture hall, and is interspersed with interactive exercises. The professor is available to students during breaks between classes and at the end of each session to answer any questions they may have.
Her course materials (PowerPoint slides) are made available via moodle but are not mandatory: students' personal notes may suffice ; indeed, such notes will usefully supplement the slides, which outline the course plan only in summary form.
A compilation of legal texts brings together the normative sources underlying the course material. It is essential for completing the exercises, particularly for the exam. Words and passages in this compilation may be underlined or highlighted, but no annotations are permitted.
Support is offered through weekly tutorials led by two teaching assistants. These tutorials cover the same material as the course, illustrated and put into practice. Students can ask any questions they may have and are guided through solving various exercises similar to the exam questions.
Classes, tutorials, and assessments all take place in person.

Evaluation methods

The exam is held in January, June, and August.
Written, it consists of various multiple-choice questions (analysis of excerpts, ranking of statements, selection among several propositions, etc.) as well as a commentary, from a legal perspective, on a non-legal document (a press article, for example).
The exam covers everything that was said in the lecture (even if such developments do not appear in the slides), but only what was said in the lecture (for example, illustrations mentioned in the tutorials that were not taught in the lecture could not be the subject of an exam question).
Twice during the quadrimester, a test allows students to assess their understanding of the material and may lead to the award of a bonus point. These bonus tests take exactly the same form as the multiple-choice questions used in the January, June, and August exams. They are optional.
The first of these is a solidarity test : if more than 2/3 of students enrolled in the course take part and more than 1/4 of those participants pass it (i.e., achieve a score equal to or greater than 10/20), all students receive a bonus point for the January exam, whether or not they took the test.
The second test is individual : all students who pass it (i.e., achieve a score equal to or greater than 10/20) receive a "personal" bonus point for the following exam.
Bonus points are not carried over from one exam session to another: they apply only to the January exam.

Other information

Caution : any breach of the rule on annotations (see above), even a single word, will be considered an irregularity and will accordingly be reported to the jury (cf. article 107 of the RGEE).
The use of another resource (such as the Code Bac) is permitted, provided that students ensure it is up to date and that the rule on annotations is respected.

Bibliography

Les sources sont référencées au fil du cours, dans les slides susmentionnés.

Faculty or entity

> ESPB