The Learning Environment
*Safe
*Fun
*Exploration
*Curiousity
*Interaction
*I will tell jokes, to try to make you feel relaxed and happy.
*Work hard, play hard.
We’re here to learn
-to learn legal English, a specialized technical vocabulary.
-to learn law, a technical field.
*try only to use English
*texting and i.m. is better than chatting, it is less disturbing to me and to the other students.
The Book
https://www.createspace.com/3977818
Initiative. Contact me. eric.engle@yahoo.com
The Course<
Course Objectives:
-Discover similarities in constitutional structures in U.S. German and E.U. Constitutional law
-Learn comparative Terminology
Legal Reasoning
-Analogy
-Deduction
-Abduction
-Conclusory reasoning
The Exam – Klausur – Case analysis
Case briefing: Facts – Sachverhalt
Find the Relevant Facts – Tatbestand
Legal Analysis – IRAC
Issue – Fallfrage
Rule – Anspruchsgründlage
Application – Subsumtion
-Jede Anspruchsgründlage hat bestimte Voraussetzungen
= Tatbestand
-Weave facts into law. Why do the facts and the law lead to the
CONCLUSION – Ergebnis
Fragesatz = Obersatz
Voraussetzungssatz
Definitionssatz
Subsumtionssatz
Folgesatz
Issue – Fragesatz:
Can the federal government ban bicycle riding to protect the environment?
Rule – Ansprüchsgrundlage; Voraussetzungssatz:
To be constitutional, A law must be a rational means to a permissible ends
Application – Subsumtion
Banning bicyles is not a rational means (geeigneter Mittel) to the goal (Zweck) of environmental protection (Umweltschutz).
Conclusion – Folgesatz
Thus the law is unconstitutional.
Constitution means to constitute
Hierarchy of Norms
Federal Constitution
Ordinary Legislation – International Law
–Customary International law=directly effective=unmittelbare Anwendbarkeit
–Treaty Law – Must be ratified. Not directly effective.
State Legislation
Sources of National Law:
Legislation
Customary Law = Actual practice + Sense of legal obligation
Case law — case law is supposedly expressing customary law
International Law
Treaties = Conventions (Abkommen, Verträge)
– not directly effective (Unmittelbare Anwendbarkeit)
Customary Law = Gewohnheitsrecht
– directly effective
Separation of Powers – Gewaltenteilung
*Executive
*Legislative
*Judicial
Division of Powers – Federalism – Föderalismus
–States are presumed to have full powers (plenary power)
–Federal government only has power exceptionally, and only where it can be found in the constitution’s text.
–Federal power may be implied which is necessary to reach the end of an enumerated power in the constitution
*Federal power: International trade, Inter-state trade, international relations.
Principle of limited federal power.
Principle of enumerated federal powers.
Principle of federal supremacy
General principles of law in U.S. law are best described as “doctrine”. General principles are not elaborated by doctors of law, they are elaborated by courts and expressed as “doctrines” or “fundamental rights”.
COURTS
Federal:
Supreme Court
Appellate Court
Trial Court
State:
Supreme Court — may appeal from here to U.S. Supreme Court
Appellate Court (Berufung)
Trial Court (Erste Instantz)
Direct Democracy: Abstimmung
Referenda: Volksentscheid – Initiative Volksbegehren – — do not really exist at the federal government.
NO PRINCIPLE OF SOCIAL DEMOCRACY (SOZIALSTAATLICHKEITSGRUNDSATZ)
“Freedoms from” Abwehrrechte
“Rights to” Vornahmerechte
“Rights of political participation” Mitwirkungsrechte
“Civil rights” Bürgerrechte
THERE ARE NO VORNAHMERECHTE IN THE U.S. FEDERAL CONSTITUTION
Central point of constitution:
LIFE LIBERTY PROPERTY
NOT
HUMAN DIGNITY (MENSCHENWÜRDE)
Social contract theory
For next course:
Get book,
Read “Bonham’s Case”, “City of London”, and “Van Horne’s Lessee”
Read U.S. articles of confederation, constitution, and preconstitutional materials.