Legal Theory and Public Affairs

The mission of the four-year Ph.D. program is to prepare highly qualified specialists for specialized scientific and research professions in the field of law, analysts developing advanced tools and methods of law analysis and specialists dealing with complex legal issues and examining the role and position of law in society. The aim of the program is to master the theoretical knowledge necessary for a deep analysis of law in the context not only of legal sciences, but also of other disciplines reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of law. A multidisciplinary approach accepting sociological, ethnographic, anthropological, psychological or political (and other) methodology makes it possible to recognize the law in a wider social context and to emphasize its characteristics. The aim of the study is also to master practical knowledge and skills in order to enable the graduates to work as researchers employing independent and responsible judgement, to engage in research teams and to cope with the requirements of the current institutionalized scientific environment.

The program is aimed at the acquiring the ability to independently define the research issues related to the concepts of theory and philosophy of law, research design and deepening of the ability to independently research in law and legal science. Graduate of the Legal Theory and Public Affairs program will be able to substantively investigate the law and the role of law in society, while focusing on the theoretical and philosophical questions of law and the possibilities of its exploration through other disciplines. At the same time, the graduate will be able to identify current trends in law, analyse them systematically and offer solutions to complex social issues related to the legal field, including minority legal sectors. However, always with an emphasis on the more general and theoretical starting points.

Educational goals emphasize methods, which allow for deep, systematic and up-to-date studies of law and its role in society. Part of the educational objectives is also the emphasis on deep and systematic knowledge and understanding of the different legal and legal philosophical concepts that are at the forefront of analysing law in international context. For this reason, apart from the individual scientific and research work of the student, great attention will be paid to individual current trends in legal philosophy and theory, current methodological directions and multidimensional and interdisciplinary aspects of law and its recognition so that acquired knowledge fully reflects the state on the international scene. An indispensable part of the study of the Doctoral Study Program Legal Theory and Public Affairs is also a separate scientific work involving participation in research projects (domestic and foreign), publication activities, internships at foreign workplaces and pedagogical activities.

An integral part of the programme is also the cooperation with the Institute of the State and the Law of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, whose scientific staff will participate directly in the teaching, as well as cooperation with foreign institutions researching in legal and legal-philosophical research.

Graduates of the Law Theory and Public Affairs program will be competent researchers who will be able discuss the general issues of legal theory and legal philosophy, will be able to analyse the current legal environment, engage in research teams exploring law and its activities in society, rights and legal trends and at the theoretical level to solve meta-legal problems.

Absolvent je po úspěšném ukončení studia schopen:

• Analyse current trends in legal theory and philosophy.
• Master specific methods of knowledge of law and to analyse its current form in society.
• Compare specific methods of law analysis and understand their use.
• Propose independent legal research and use different scientific disciplines in studying law.
• Understand law in the wider social context.
• Identify common problems of law and society, and the general trends.
• Develop tools for examining law and its role in society.
• Develop, evaluate and design theories, concepts and methods in multidisciplinary law studies.
• Evaluate new knowledge and ideas, taking into account the long-term social consequences of their use.
• Plan large-scale activities of a scientific, research and creative nature, and obtain and plan resources for their realization.

Graduates of the Doctoral Program of Legal Theory and Public Affairs will be able to engage in international research projects as highly specialized staff of research institutions dealing with the basic methodological questions connected with the research of law. In addition, they will be able to offer deep knowledge and skills needed for complex legal and analytical activities and will therefore be able to not only create these analyses, but also arguments for promoting specific legal actions and tools. The graduate will also develop multidisciplinary skills in the examination of the law that can be used to solve complex social issues and advise on possible legal steps.

Graduates of the doctoral study program will also be able to analyse semi-legal themes that cannot be solved in a conservative and classical way but in which it is necessary to accentuate the basic theoretical premises and objective methodological approach.

The Legal Theory and Public Affairs program does not have a compulsory practice.

Details of standards of theses will be - according to conventions - defined by the Doctoral Board.

Content of the dissertation thesis: In the dissertation the student presents the results obtained during her/his studies in the program. The thesis must contain original and published results or results accepted for publication.

Content and technical requirements of dissertation thesis: The thesis is presented exclusively in English. The minimum range of the dissertation is at least 261.000 characters including spaces. This includes the abstract (the usual range is 500-600 characters including spaces) with a list of keywords (the usual range of the list is 5-10 words), which is placed on a separate sheet (at the beginning of the work, after the student's statement).

Citations format: The citation is governed by the Dean's directive.

Submission of the thesis: The thesis is submitted electronically through IS MU (archive of the qualifying thesis) and in three printed copies. The Doctoral Board can determine the possibility of submitting the thesis only electronically

Conditions for submission of the application for defence: The precondition for filing the application is a successful completion of the state doctoral examination or the concurrent submission of the application for the state doctoral examination - in which case the defence and state doctoral examinations are held in one day.

Dates: Deadlines for submission of applications for the defence of the dissertation are set for the spring semester on January, 31 of the preceding autumn semester, and for the autumn semester on June, 30 of the preceding spring semester.

Abstract of dissertation thesis: The dissertation thesis abstract is also submitted along with the thesis. Its range is 18.000 characters and includes the characteristics of the topic, the definition of the purpose of the work and the methods used in the process, the characteristics of the content of the work (especially the key chapters) and the conclusions reached by the author. The contents of the thesis and the list of used sources are also parts of the dissertation thesis abstract. The list of used sources is not counted in the 10 pages limit.

Requirements for publication of the dissertation thesis results: The dissertation must contain the original and published results and the results accepted for publication. The list of published results must be enclosed with the application for defence. The dissertation is considered to be published if at least one of the following methods of publication of the results is fulfilled:

- publishing the entire dissertation or its acceptance for publication,

- an expert paper (article, study) published in a peer reviewed journal,

- a paper published or provably accepted for publication in a Reviewed Proceedings, including an electronic version,

- a chapter in a monograph.