Learning outcomes

Preliminary remark: the course is now taught by a new teacher, Stéphanie Wattier.

 

Legal Culture of the English-Speaking World is a bilingual course (English/French), which aims to develop the ability of French-speaking students to work in a bilingual environment, as well as to develop their knowledge of Anglo-Saxon legal culture.

As the course is taught in English, the teacher always ensures that the subject matter is properly understood by explaining technical legal developments in French and translating elements that were not understood in English. The teacher constantly considers the students’ feelings about the English language.

 

Due to the limited number of teaching hours, the course focuses on two countries in the Anglosphere in particular: firstly, the United Kingdom because it is the cradle of the English language and, secondly, the United States of America where the largest number of English speakers live (330 million) and because of its position as a “superpower” at the global level.


 

 

Content

After a general introduction on what “Legal culture of the English-Speaking World” covers, the course focuses on some of the major social issues that the United Kingdom and the United States are currently facing: the right to abortion, the right to carrying arms, the fight against obesity, climate change, etc.

The course highlights how those two common law countries deal with these major legal and cultural issues in their own way.

 

Plan :

Introduction

Section 1. What’s ‘legal culture’?

Section 2. What’s the ‘English-Speaking World’?

Section 3. Selection of the analysed countries

                       

Part I. Generalities about legal culture in the UK and the USA

Chapter 1. Generalities about legal culture of the United Kingdom

Chapter 2. Generalities about legal culture of the United States of American

 

Part II – Selection of current issues with regard to legal culture of the United Kingdom and the United States of America

Chapter 1. Relations between religions and State toward UK Law and US Law

Chapter 2. Right to abortion in UK Law and US Law

Chapter 3. Carrying guns and Law

Chapter 4. Obesity towards UK Law and US Law

Chapter 5. Legal challenges of climate change in UK Law and US Law

Chapter 6. Legal framework of prostitution in the UK and in the USA

 

Conclusions, questions, and preparation for the exam.

 

Assessment method

The exam (20 points) consists of:

  1. An active participation of the students during the lessons (7 points of the global score).
  2. A written exam with one question in English and one question in French (13 points of the global score). Those questions require a reflection of the students and not only what they memorised.

 

The use of a dictionary (EN/FR) is authorised at any time (during the lessons and the exam).

 

Sources, references and any support material

The course material consists of:

  • PowerPoints available on Webcampus.
  • Readings available on Webcampus.
  • Tests and Wooclaps available on Webcampus.

Videos shown during the lessons.

 

Language of instruction

Français
Training Study programme Block Credits Mandatory
Bachelier en droit Standard 0 3
Bachelier en droit Standard 3 3