Introduction

1. To study legal systems: what, why, how?
2. The three major legal traditions: Civil Law, Common Law and Islamic Law

Part I: Introduction to the Common Law system

Chap. 1: Historical roots: Common law courts and equity courts

Chap. 2: The importance of precedent

Part II: The main Common Law countries: English law and USA law

Chap. 1: The continuity of Common law tradition in England

Chap. 2: Common law tradition and legal specificities in the USA

Part III: Nuances of the classic separation between Civil Law and Common Law

Chap. 1: Integration of indigenous laws in Common Law countries: Australia and South Africa

Chap. 2: Legal traditions mixing in Canada

20hrs of lecture in English, with interaction with the students, who will be invited to do some preliminary research during the semester, to understand better the course

• Understand the specificities of Common Law tradition
• Use the corresponding legal vocabulary
• Analyse the French legal system (Civil Law tradition) from a new perspective
• Have an overview of five legal systems from the Common Wealth and understand how the Common Law tradition has evolved in the course of time

Good English level

Continuous assessment in class