CORE180 Historical Aspects of Contemporary Law in European and Global Contexts

Faculty of Law
Autumn 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
JUDr. David Kolumber, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. JUDr. Bc. Jaromír Tauchen, Ph.D., LL.M. Eur.Int. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. JUDr. Bc. Jaromír Tauchen, Ph.D., LL.M. Eur.Int.
Department of the History of the State and Law – Faculty of Law
Contact Person: Zuzana Suchá
Supplier department: Department of the History of the State and Law – Faculty of Law
Prerequisites (in Czech)
!FAKULTA(PrF) && ! MP103Zk General History of Law
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
The capacity limit for the course is 100 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/100, only registered: 0/100, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/100
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to provide students from non-law disciplines with a deeper understanding of the historical development of the Czech legal system, as well as selected other legal systems in both European and global contexts. The course focuses on key historical milestones that have shaped contemporary legal orders and explains their impact on today’s social and political structures. Emphasis is placed on linking historical events with current legal issues and challenges, enabling students to better comprehend the functioning of law in the modern world. The knowledge acquired will not only contribute to an understanding of the role of law in maintaining justice and order, but also to a critical reflection on its role in shaping a free and democratic society.
Learning outcomes
Students completing the course will be able to:
– explain the influence of societal changes on the structure of the current legal system (and vice versa),
– explain the key stages in the historical development of legal systems and their impact on contemporary legal orders,
– characterize the differences between modern and pre-modern law,
– describe and understand legal reasoning and methods of legal practitioners,
– identify the main legal traditions (continental and Anglo-American) and compare their historical roots,
– analyze the connections between the historical development of law and current social and political issues,
– assess the impact of major legal institutions and reforms on the formation of modern society,
– explain the nature of legal functioning under authoritarian (totalitarian) regimes of the 20th century,
– apply acquired knowledge to better understand contemporary legal debates,
– critically reflect on the historical context of law and its significance for upholding the rule of law, justice, and democracy.
Syllabus
  • 1. Law as a Mirror of Time: The Meaning and Origins of Legal History
  • 2. Czech Legal Scholarship, the Faculty of Law in Brno, and Its Legacy to the World
  • 3. Codification: Pillars of the Modern Legal World
  • 4. Modern States Through the Lens of History: Between Revolution and Stability
  • 5. The First Czechoslovak Republic: An Island of Democracy in the Heart of Europe?
  • 6. Law Under the Red Star: The Soviet Union, Socialist Czechoslovakia, and Their Ideologies
  • 7. Law Under the Swastika: Germany Between Democracy and Dictatorship
  • 8. Bohemia and Moravia Under the Rule of Nazi Law
  • 9. Law After the Fall: Reckoning with the Legacy of Totalitarian Regimes
  • 10. The Rise and Legacy of the Empire on Which the Sun Never Set
  • 11. When Worlds Unite and Fall Apart: Law in an Era of Integration and Disintegration
  • 12. Human Rights: From Declarations to Universal Values
  • 13. Reflections on Legal History: Review and Recap
Literature
    required literature
  • VOJÁČEK, Ladislav, Jaromír TAUCHEN and David KOLUMBER. Nástin právních dějin (A Brief Introduction to Legal History). 2., upr. a rozš. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2025, 246 pp. Edice učebnic PrF MU, sv. č. 571. ISBN 978-80-280-0690-7. info
Teaching methods
Teaching is conducted in the form of lectures. More detailed information is available to students in the interactive syllabus.
Assessment methods
The course is concluded with a colloquium in written form. Further details regarding the course completion requirements are available to students in the interactive syllabus.
Náhradní absolvování
The course cannot be completed in an alternative format.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught every week.
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