Further Information

Content

A. General Structures:
The course begins with an introduction to the legal traditions and areas of law in Germany, which are divided into private law, public law and criminal law. Formal and substantive law and their relationship to European and international law will be discussed. In addition, sources of law such as written law, case law and customary law as well as the hierarchy of norms and principles of interpretation are discussed. The structure of jurisdiction, legal training and professions as well as legal working methods and tools are also presented.

B. Public Law:
This part covers constitutional and administrative law, including history, basic principles such as democracy and the rule of law, fundamental rights, constitutional bodies and the financial constitution. Furthermore, special aspects such as military defence, internal emergencies and religious communities as well as detailed administrative law including police, environmental, immigration and social law are covered.

C. Criminal law:
Students will learn the fundamentals and system of criminal law, including historical development, general principles, elements of offences, intent and negligence, as well as specific aspects of juvenile criminal law and criminal procedure.

D. Private law:
The area of private law covers the history and system of the German Civil Code, the law of obligations, property law, family law and inheritance law as well as commercial and company law. This includes important topics such as legal capacity, legal competence, declarations of intent, contract law, special types of contracts and tort law.

E. European Law:
Students are introduced to the structure and institutions of the European Union, learn about the various legal sources of Union law and cover the basic principles of Union law.

F. International Law:
This section deals with the structure of public international law, major international institutions and treaties, including the United Nations and the European Convention on Human Rights.

In addition, relevant legal processes and the application of legal principles are covered in each section to prepare students for practical challenges.

Literature

• Robbers, Einführung in das deutsche Recht, 8. Auflage, Baden-Baden 2023.
• Robbers, Introduction to German Law, 8th Editon, Baden-Baden 2023.
• Millers, An Introduction to German Law and Legal Culture, 1st Edition, Cambridge 2024.

Examination

Further information is available on Moodle.