What is constitutionalism? What is comparative constitutional law, how is it done and why do we compare constitutions ?
The seminar addresses a classic yet very timely topic: the exact meaning of constitutionalism in a world in which democracy and the rule of law are threatened, abused or destroyed entirely. First, we will address the fundamentals of comparative constitutionalism, i.e. the concept itself, its normative and institutional components, and the varieties, taking legal, political, social, cultural and economic factirs into account. Then, we focus on specific aspects of constitutionalism, i.e. democracy, socioeconomic and equality rights, depending on what participants are interested in.
Sessions will be based on required weekly readings, some taken from the casebook by Dorsen etal. Comparative Constitutionalism (West). Students will also prepare brief presentations of rulings on a topic, and propose a comparative analyses. Groups shall form, and topics be assigned, in the first seminar session.
Dorsen etal Comparative Constitutionalism, West 4th ed 2022
Eingeladen sind insbesondere Studierende der Rechtswissenschaft mit Interesse an Verfassungsrecht in weltweit unterschiedlichen Kontexten, aber auch anderer Fachrichtungen. Alle Texte und weitere Informationen werden auf Moodle bereitgestellt.
Students must particpate in a team and present findings, and may write a seminar paper (Schwerpunkt, or LLM, or other).
Die Veranstaltung wurde 7 mal im Vorlesungsverzeichnis SoSe 2026 gefunden:
