Winter Term 2024/2025

Course Content:
The course examines from a comparative perspective the way in which the law regulates the treatment of animals. The following aspects will be covered:

•    Introduction - What is Animal Law? - The nature of animals - Relationship of humans and animals - Main theories in ethics/philosophy
•    History of animal related legislation and law
•    Animal related law in practice - Legislation relating to animals in different contexts - exemplary problems in contract, tort, liability, criminal law, administrative law
•    Elements of protection of animals in the legal system (impacts of WTO, EU and US legislation)
•    Justification – Meaning and significance of unnecessary suffering and reasonable cause
•    Law enforcement and effectiveness of present law - Is there a need for a global Animal Law?
•    Perspectives of moral and legal status of animals - From Animal Welfare to Animal Rights?

Notice: ECTS require:
75 % Attendance in classes and written (home) exam (Essay, 2000 words, graded on a pass/fail scale)
 

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.0011

ECTS:
4

Course Content:
The lecture deals with the basics of European private law, but above all with the current development of contract law in the European Union. In addition, the most important directives and case law are analyzed and the question of system formation within the framework of European private law is discussed.

The focus is on general contract law. Both comparative law and Community law aspects are examined.

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.5611

ECTS:
1 or 4

Course Content:
Course Language: English, but only if there are visiting students in the course. Course Content: The course covers the European legal framework regulating cross-border litigation. Its main focus is on the Brussels Ibis Regulation and the question of jurisdiction. In addition to civil and commercial litigation, the course addresses the basics of cross-border insolvencies, international disputes related to family law and the law of succession, and international cooperation related to the service of documents and the taking of evidence.

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.519

ECTS:
1 or 4

Course Content:
Participants will be given an overview of tort and property law from Europe's most influential legal systems. The first lecture will cover Tort Law in Europe, while the second lecture will cover Propery Law in Europe

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.6160

ECTS:
0,5

Course Content:
tba

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.0444

ECTS:
2 or 6

Course Content:
In the course, the regulations of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods will be discussed.
Special attention will be paid to the scope of application, the general part, the formation of the contract and the interpretation of the contract. Furthermore, the rights and obligations of the buyer and the seller will be discussed.

The event will also include a presentation of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods as the result of a unification process. This includes, in particular, the question of how the different legal traditions were brought together in a uniform law on sales. Also of interest will be the case law that has been handed down on the basis of the CISG.

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.616

ECTS:
1 or 4

International Arbitration

Course Content:
The course provides a comprehensive overview of the law of (international) arbitration. Among other things, the fundamentals of arbitration, the particularities of arbitration proceedings in comparison to civil proceedings, legal assistance by state courts, the recognition and enforceability of arbitral awards, and much more will be covered.

In addition, numerous insights into the practice of international arbitration are conveyed.

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.517

ECTS:
1 or 4

Course Content:
This course introduces the fundamentals of British Constitutional law, including the sources of law in this area and the fundamental principles such as the rule of law and parliamentary sovereignty. The course considers the ‘unwritten’ nature of the constitution in the sense that there is no single codified document such as the GG in Germany or the Constitution in the US. Students will see how Acts of Parliament, common law (case law) and conventions play their part. The course introduces the voting system, how laws are made, the role and composition of Parliament, the Crown, the Government, its function and the various forms of scrutiny. The course also considers human rights aspects, devolution and judicial review. The UK’s relationship with the EU will also be considered with a particular emphasis on Brexit.

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.863

ECTS:
6

Course Content:
Students attending this course will take a deep dive into various aspects of fundamental rights found in the U.S. Constitution. They will do so using several cases that were or are working their way through the U.S. court system. The cases will be introduced to students in the first session, and then be used to some extent throughout the course. More specifically, students will begin by looking at 2nd Amendment rights as they learn about the methods used by U.S. courts to interpret the U.S. Constitution. The course will then turn its attention to the First Amendment, which houses provisions dealing with freedom of speech and religious liberty, among others. From there students will explore how the Supreme Court has dealt with the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. We will then finish up by looking at how courts can and have read rights into the Constitution.

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.823

ECTS:
6

Course Content:
This course will focus mostly on common law contract principles. In some semesters, basic common law torts concepts will also be discussed.

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.825

ECTS:
6

Course Content:
This course introduces students to the common law system with emphasis on the English legal system. It considers the legal profession, such as solicitors, barristers and judges, and the court system from the Magistrates’ Court to the UK Supreme Court.  Students will learn about the sources of law, to include Acts of Parliament and case law. The course introduces the adversarial system in criminal and civil law and considers the jury system within Crown Court trials. Students will learn about the role of the lawyers, judge and jury within the system and the importance of a burden and standard of proof. The course considers how cases are built and the role of evidence, witnesses as to fact and experts. Students will learn about the doctrine of precedent in common law legal systems and statutory interpretation.  This is a foundation course that provides students with the background knowledge necessary to take the more advanced FFA UK courses.

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.683

ECTS:
6

Common Law Methodology (English-US)

Course Content:
This course introduces FFA Englisch USA participants to the common law legal system and method of analysis. Throughout the semester students will follow a personal injury case as it moves through the U.S judicial system. All materials for this course will be found in Courseware. ERASMUS students are strongly encouraged to take the course Englisch II: Introduction to Common Law Legal Systems (Fremdsprachenschein) as an alternative to this one.

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.824

ECTS:
6

Course Content:
This course focuses on the largely common law area of torts. Torts are civil wrongs that cause individuals to suffer loss or harm which results in legal liability for the person who commits these wrongs. As such, torts cover a wide range of situations from harm sustained by negligent medical practice, through to harm resulting from the publication of libellous information in the press. The most important tort of all is negligence as it forms the foundation of many other tortious actions. This course, therefore, explores the case law that governs the tort of negligence, and then moves on to consider the torts of nuisance, occupiers’ liability, and defamation. In addition, it explores the defences and remedies that are available to parties through the court system.

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.864

ECTS:
6

Course Content:
This course offers an introduction to certain aspects of common law legal systems, with a strong focus on how the systems in England and the United States function. Participants will learn about the structure of these systems as well as the method of legal analysis used in them.

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.371

ECTS:
6

Course Content:
These two different courses will be offered in alternating years as part of the Department’s doctoral degree program. The aim of these courses is to improve one's legal English usage. These courses will focus on the use of Legal English in variety of contexts, including various kinds of presentations and groups discussions. Course discussions and presentations will focus on current legal topics and topics of interest to participants. Participants will be expected to help lead at least one group discussion on a topic of their choice. Throughout the course participants will be provided with advice on how to improve their English communication skills, especially in a legal context.

ERASMUS: This course is also open to ERASMUS students. Those ERASMUS students needing 6 ECTS points will be given an oral exam option at the end of the course.

Term:
Winter Term

Course Number:
10.803

ECTS:
2 or 6

Course Content:
The lecture is primarily intended for students from abroad and is held in English. The main areas of German law (civil law, criminal law, public law) will be presented, basic structures will be outlined and, where appropriate, cases will be solved and comparisons with the participants' home jurisdictions will be discussed.

Term:
Winter and Summer Term

Course Number:
10.6162

ECTS:
2 or 6