EVS413 The ECJ and Constitutional Disputes

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2013
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
JUDr. Mgr. Ivo Pospíšil, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Hubert Smekal, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Helena Bončková, LL.M. (assistant)
Mgr. Jana Kyseľová (assistant)
Mgr. Jana Urbanovská, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Markéta Pitrová, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Thu 16:00–17:40 U42
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 40 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/40, only registered: 0/40
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course European Court of Justice and Constitutional Disputes aims to introduce the case-law of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in the most important cases and to focus on main tendencies and characteristics of its decision-making activities. One of the main parts of the course are reactions of EU member states' Constitutional courts on the ECJ. We will be interested especially in ECJ "constitutional cases" which influenced the entire character of the European law and determined the main principles (direct effect, primacy), cases with the human rights questions or institutional disputes. Program of the course also includes important contemporary disputes. After completion of the course the student will be oriented in the most important case-law of the Court of Justice and Constitutional courts of the member states and be introduced to current research on the law and European studies.
Syllabus
  • 1) Introduction 2) Introduction to the EC law with the accentation of importance and position of the European Court of Justice 3) Position of the European Court of Justice in institutional structure of EU/EC 4) Essential principles of the EC law formulated by ECJ 5) Essential principles of the EC law formulated by ECJ and institutions of preliminary question 6) Constitutionalist versus internationalist view: does the EC/EU have a constitution and in which meaning? 7) Concept of constitutional justice and its application in the case of EC/EU. ECJ as the constitutional court of EC/EU 8) Question of human rights protection in judicature of ECJ 9) Institutional disputes at ECJ 10) The constitutional courts and ECJ relations 11) Selected doctrines of the national constitutional and the high courts in relation to the European law and their reflection in ECJ case-law (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic) 12) General consultation 13) Credit test
Literature
  • POSPÍŠIL, Ivo and Hubert SMEKAL. Vztah národní a nadnárodní úrovně práva. Pohled Ústavního soudu ČR a vybraných ústavních soudů zemí EU (National and Supranational Level of Law. The point of view of the Czech Constitutional Court and Selected Courts of EU Countries). In DANČÁK, Břetislav and Vít HLOUŠEK. Víceúrovňové vládnutí v Evropě: zkušenosti, problémy a výzvy. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2007, p. 201- 239, 38 pp. Výzkum, sv. 2. ISBN 978-80-210-4458-6. info
  • Průvodce judikaturou Evropského soudního dvora. Edited by Lenka Pítrová - Richard Pomahač. Praha: Linde, 2006, 303 s. ISBN 8072015842. info
  • TÝČ, Vladimír. Základy práva Evropské unie pro ekonomy (Foundations of EU Law for Economists). 5. aktualiz. vyd. Praha: Linde, 2006, 287 pp. Vysokoškolské právnické učebnice. ISBN 80-7201-631-8. info
  • PÍTROVÁ, Lenka and Richard POMAHAČ. Průvodce judikaturou Evropského soudního dvora. Praha: Linde, 2005, 303 s. ISBN 8072015508. info
  • BLAHOŽ, Josef, Karel KLÍMA and Josef SKÁLA. Ústavní právo Evropské unie. 1. vyd. Dobrá Voda: Aleš Čeněk, 2003, 939 s. ISBN 80-86473-48-1. info
  • PÍTROVÁ, Lenka and Richard POMAHAČ. Průvodce judikaturou Evropského soudního dvora. Praha: Linde, 2001, 348 s. ISBN 8072012525. info
  • PÍTROVÁ, Lenka and Richard POMAHAČ. Průvodce judikaturou Evropského soudního dvora. Praha: Linde, 2000, 359 s. ISBN 8072012045. info
Teaching methods
The course is divided into two educational schemes - into lectures and seminars. While the lectures are aimed at theoretical aspects of the subject, the seminars (the students are expected to prepare for by their written position papers) demand active and more practical knowledge of the issues (e. g. the ability to find, interpret and understand the case-law of selected judicial bodies - ECJ and constitutional courts of EU member states).
Assessment methods
The course is completed by the written test. Students will also deliver four position papers concerning selected literature and important cases in the course of the semester.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2006, Autumn 2008, Spring 2010, Spring 2012, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Autumn 2018.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2013, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2013/EVS413