Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW1013: French Constitutional Law

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Aims

This French Constitutional Law module is intended to provide you with a sound knowledge of topical French Constitutional features and questions, especially the Constitutions of the Third and the Fifth Republics. A key aim of the module is to give you the opportunity to acquire the necessary ways of thinking and communicating accurately about a foreign legal system. Through lectures the module aims to enable you to acquire a confident grasp of the principles of the French constitutional regimes and political systems so that you develop the ability to express yourself on French legal and political issues, to analyse them critically and to apply the law skillfully. Through tutorials the module aims to give you a solid grounding in French legal methodology and examination techniques. This induction to French methods of legal thinking and writing (dissertation juridique level 1) is essential to prepare you for your year abroad and the study leading to the French Maitrise en Droit (Master 1).

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.

On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Demonstrate accurate knowledge of French Constitutional Law, using appropriate interpretative techniques and terminology;
2. Identify and analyse (with guidance) the general concepts and principles of French Constitutional Law, together with related theories, academic commentary and contextual matters;
3. Research a legal question and demonstrate competence in applying French Constitutional Law in order to formulate and evaluate a response to it;
4. Express yourself comfortably both through oral and written communication in French on legal and political issues relating to the module, and in particular write a French law essay correctly using French legal methodology (la dissertation juridique)
Discipline-Specific Skills5. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a range of legal rules, concepts, values and principles, and the ability to explain and discuss the relationships among them;
6. Incorporate comparative elements into your work and, by doing so, be able to relate your English legal and political experience to your knowledge of the specificity of the French constitutional regimes and political systems;
7. Make an informed judgement about the merits and relevance of particular French legal material and information, make reasoned choices between alternative solutions or arguments and to present them according to French methodological standards and examination techniques;
Personal and Key Skills8. Have a clear understanding and a practical knowledge of French legal vocabulary and the proficiency to take well-structured and reliable lecture notes in French;
9. Demonstrate ability to take responsibility for your own learning (with support), and to work effectively with others within a group;
10. Demonstrate ability to identify, retrieve and use efficiently a range of library-based and electronic resources with some guidance;
11. Demonstrate ability to manage time efficiently in preparing for learning activities, and to work independently within a limited time frame, to complete a specified task;