HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY LAW
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Bibliography
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
Institutions of Private Law, Constitutional Law and History of medieval and modern law exams must be passed beforehand. Konoledge of the basics of criminal law is required.
The actual degree of knowledge reached by the students will be assessed with a final oral examination about the entire course, and the mark will be in fractions of 30. The examining board is established according to the current academic rules. The final examination will run as follow: first, a question of general contents; then a number of questions on more specific issues, as to ascertain the acquisition of the notions requested (60%); the appropriate understanding and use of legal terminology (20%), the ability in logic and discourse structuring (20%). Students, as they reply to questions, should respect the linkage of the historical events as well as the historical evolution of principles and rules of law, and should demonstrate to be able to make connections and comparisons between the various subject treated.
The course aims to illustrate the genesis and development of criminal codification (law and trial) from juridical Enlightenment to fascism. The students will be introduced to the origin and the affirmation of some principles still in force in the Western countries, such as the principle of legality, the presumption of innocence, the individual criminal liability. Some important and problematic issues will be examined from a historical and evolutionary point of view: for example, complicity and attempt crime, how punishments are laid down by law, perpetual punishment and death penalty legitimacy. About the trial, we will analyze the two main models of legal trials, the inquisitional system and the accusatory system, and their rotation throughout history. About evidences, we will highlight the difference between the legal evidence system and that of the judge’s free conviction.
The course deals with the development of criminal law and criminal trial starting with juridical Enlightenment, when the foundations of the principles still in force in the Western countries are laid. Special attention will be paid to Cesare Beccaria’s thought and to his influence on the reforms of some enlightened sovereigns and the French revolutionaries. After examining the Napoleonic codification and the legislations of Restauration, we will focus on some aspects of Italian criminal law and criminal trial after Unification.
ATTENDING STUDENTS:
1) Adriano CAVANNA, Storia del diritto moderno in Europa. Le fonti e il pensiero giuridico, vol. 2, Milano, Giuffrè, 2005, ISBN 88-14-11860-4, only the parts mentioned below: Storia dell’Europa e del diritto: pp. 13-32; Le origini dell’idea di codificazione: pp. 33-68; Il tribunale della ragione: pp. 69-87; Montesquieu: pp. 117-135; L’Enciclopedia: pp. 136-138; Voltaire: pp. 139-157; Rousseau: pp. 158-167; Lumi lunari: pp. 174-189; Lumi solari: pp. 190-222; Area russa: pp. 225-228; Area prussiana: pp. 229-251; Area austriaca: pp. 253-256 (§ 1: La politica riformistica di Maria Teresa); pp. 260-263 (§ 3 A: Il riformismo di Giuseppe II); pp. 292-335; Leopoldina: pp. 337-358; Progetto lombardo: pp. 359-392; La Francia, pp. 395-430; 438-439 (§ 3 B: La Costituzione civile del clero); pp. 474-514; pp. 527-529 (§ 2: La restaurazione post-termidoriana); pp. 534-539 (§ 4 B: Nel diritto penale; § 5: Dall’illusione al disincanto); pp. 542-
544 (§ 6 B: La divulgazione del pensiero di Jeremy Bentham); pp. 553-555 (§ 1: Napoleone, il ceto dei giuristi); pp. 590-606.
2)C. DANUSSO, Patibolo ed ergastolo dall’Unità al fascismo, in “Penale contemporaneo – Rivista trimestrale”, 4, 2017, pp. 51-67, download from the link:
http://dpc-rivista-trimestrale.criminaljusticenetwork.eu/pdf/DPC_Riv_Tri...
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS:
1)Adriano CAVANNA, Storia del diritto moderno in Europa. Le fonti e il pensiero giuridico, vol. 2, Milano, Giuffrè, 1982, ISBN 88-14-03192-4, the whole book.
2)C. DANUSSO, Patibolo ed ergastolo dall’Unità al fascismo, in “Penale contemporaneo – Rivista trimestrale”, 4, 2017, pp. 51-67, download from the link:
http://dpc-rivista-trimestrale.criminaljusticenetwork.eu/pdf/DPC_Riv_Tri...
65 frontal teaching hours and some documents on e-learning platform.
Professor D’Amico is available to talk both before and after the lessons, and for e-mail contacts.
Borrowed from
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