Courses

Current Courses

Sommersemester 2023

Postcolonialism in law and politics

More information about the course can be found on the Moodle learning platform. Please enroll there using the university-wide enrollment key.

Event Date

Wednesdays 10-12 (only on special dates) and special dates.

Content

In this course, students acquire knowledge about postcolonial approaches in political science and law and apply these approaches to concrete case studies of local or current relevance. The course is based on joint readings, discussions and project work on case studies.

Global Justice Clinic in Business and Human Rights

More information about the course can be found on the Moodle learning platform. Please enroll there using the university-wide enrollment key.

Event Date

Wednesday 10-12h, LG 1/326

Content

The human rights responsibilities of businesses are gaining increasing importance in German and international law. In this course, students work on real case studies from business and human rights practice. A particular focus will be on human rights-based governance of transnational value chains, as exemplified by the German Supply Chain Law of 2021 and similar regulations in comparative and European law. Invited guests from human rights practice and business will give insights into their practical work and supervise the group work on the case studies.

Information on the past cycle of the Clinic can be found here.

Master theses

Prof. Michael Riegner also supervises Masters theses in English language in the thematic spectrum of the professorship. Please send a short sketch of your proposed project to Prof. Riegner.

Past Courses

Winter semester 2022/2023

State Organization Law

More information about the course can be found on the Moodle learning platform. Please enroll there using the university-wide enrollment key.

For the first course you will need a text edition of the Basic Law. Further literature and materials can be found on Moodle.

Event date

13.10.-24.11.2022, Thursday 12:00-14:00h, HS1 KIZ, single dates online 14.10.-25.11.2022, Friday 08:00-10:00h, HS 1 KIZ, single dates online

Module final exam (with VL Grundrechte) on 3.2.2023, 8.00-10.00h

Retest on 2.3.2023, 12.00-14.00h

Content

The lecture deals with the fundamental aspects of the state organization of the Federal Republic of Germany, namely the constitutional organs of the Federation, the principles of electoral law, the principles of state structure and state objectives of the Basic Law, the legislative process, as well as the relationship between the branches of power constituted by the Basic Law including the judicial branch (with emphasis on the Federal Constitutional Court). The lecture is guided by leading decisions from the jurisprudence of the Federal Constitutional Court. 

Constitutional Law II (Fundamental Rights)

More information about the course can be found on the Moodle learning platform. Please enroll there using the university-wide enrollment key.

For the first course you will need a text edition of the Basic Law. Further literature and materials can be found on Moodle.

Event date

01.12.2022-02.02.2023, Thursday 12:00-14:00h, HS1 KIZ, single dates online 02.12.2022-03.02.2023, Friday 08:00-10:00h, HS 1 KIZ, single dates online

Module final exam (with VL Staatsorganisationsrecht) on 3.2.2023, 8.00-10.00h

Retest on 2.3.2023, 12.00-14.00h

Content

The aim of the course is to impart basic knowledge about selected fundamental rights which are characteristic for the free democratic basic order as well as the economic constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany (Art. 5, 8, 9, 12, 14 as well as Art. 1, 2 and 3 GG). The most important elements of the general doctrine of fundamental rights are integrated into this presentation (bearers of fundamental rights; scope of protection, doctrine of limits, proportionality and guarantee of essence). The presentation is guided by the leading cases of the Federal Constitutional Court.

Summer semester 2022

BA-Seminar „Die Covid-19 Pandemie im Völkerrecht und internationalen Verwaltungsrecht“

Nähere Informationen zu Terminen, Ablauf und Literatur finden Sie im zugehörigen Moodle-Kurs. Schreiben Sie sich dort bitte selbst mit dem universitätsweiten Einschreibeschlüssel für das Sommersemester ein.

Inhaltsbeschreibung: Die COVID-19-Pandemie hat erfahrbar gemacht, wie verwundbar die globalisierte Welt ist. Sie hat Lieferketten gestört, ganze Gesellschaften in den "Lockdown" geschickt, globale Ungleichheiten vertieft und Solidaritäten in Frage gestellt. Da Viren und Infektionskrankheiten nicht vor Grenzen halt machen, bedarf es originär dem Völkerrecht und insbesondere der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO), um eine weltweite Zusammenarbeit bei der Bekämpfung der Pandemie zu koordinieren und Reaktionsprozesse zu steuern, wobei die Krise dementsprechend die Schwächen des Völkerrechts aufgedeckt hat. Die Veranstaltung widmet sich der Covid-19-Pandemie aus der Perspektive des Völkerrechts und internationalen Verwaltungsrechts und den Lehren die aus der Krise zu ziehen sind. Es wird als Blockseminar gemeinsam mit Herrn Niklas Kramer, Referent im Bundesgesundheitsministerium, Referat Gesundheitssicherheit und internationales Krisenmanagement, abgehalten. Aktuelle Diskussionen und Verhandlungen zur Stärkung der Internationalen Gesundheitsregularien und zur Schaffung eines neuen internationalen Vertrages zur Pandemiebekämpfung werden so direkt in das Seminar einfließen. Voraussetzung für die Teilnahme ist der erfolgreiche Abschluss der rechtswissenschaftlichen Module der O-Phase. Wünschenswert sind überdies völkerrechtliche Vorkenntnisse oder zumindest der gleichzeitige Besuch der Vorlesung im Völkerrecht. Gute Englischkenntnisse sind zur Textlektüre erforderlich.

MA-Seminar „Wirtschaft und Menschenrechte in transnationalen Lieferketten / Business and human rights in transnational value chains“

For further information on dates, program and readings, please enroll in the respective Moodle-course, using the university-wide enrolment code for the summer term.

Description: The human rights responsibilities of businesses are gaining increasing importance in German and international law. This course analyses the legal techniques which state and non-state actors employ to address the human rights challenges of a globalized economy. A particular focus will be on human rights-based governance of transnational value chains, as exemplified by the German Supply Chain Law of 2021 and similar regulations in comparative and European law. Students will work on real case studies from business and human rights practice, and  invited guests from human rights practice and business will give insights into their practical work. Coursework can be done in German or English language.

Winter semester 2021/22

State Organization Law

Event date

14.10.2021-25.11.2021, Thursday 12:00-14:00

15.10.2021-26.11.2021, Friday 08:00-10:00

Content

The lecture deals with the fundamental aspects of the state organization of the Federal Republic of Germany, namely the constitutional organs of the Federation, the principles of electoral law, the principles of state structure and state objectives of the Basic Law, the legislative process, as well as the relationship between the branches of power constituted by the Basic Law including the judicial branch (with emphasis on the Federal Constitutional Court). The lecture is guided by leading decisions from the jurisprudence of the Federal Constitutional Court. 

Fundamental rights

Event date

02.12.2021-03.02.2022, Thursday 12:00-14:00

03.12.2021-04.02.2022, Friday 08:00-10:00

 

Exam dates

1st written exam: 11.02.2022, 08:00-10:00

2nd written exam: 11.03.2022, 08:00-10:00

 

Examination achievement

3 LP (module examination)

 

Content

The aim of the course is to impart basic knowledge about selected fundamental rights which are characteristic for the free democratic basic order as well as the economic constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany (Art. 5, 8, 9, 12, 14 as well as Art. 1, 2 and 3 GG). The most important elements of the general doctrine of fundamental rights are integrated into this presentation (bearers of fundamental rights; scope of protection, doctrine of limits, proportionality and guarantee of essence). The presentation is guided by the leading cases of the Federal Constitutional Court.