Course: Introduction to public law credits: 5

The course Introduction to Public Law provides a first introduction to European law, constitutional law and criminal law. European law has an increasing impact on the Dutch legal system. This makes knowledge in this field very relevant for law students. This course therefore aims to provide students with a brief introduction to this (institutional) law of the European Union, by means of a first introduction to the institutional framework of the European Union, namely the institutions of the EU such as the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Central Bank and the Court of Auditors, and their tasks and powers. It also gives a first insight into European legislation, the different types of legislation and the legislative procedure.

In the constitutional law section students become acquainted with the basic concepts, sources and main bodies of the Dutch constitutional system. This includes the Constitution, fundamental rights and relevant case law. In addition, the three state powers (legislator, government and judge) and their mutual relationship will be discussed.

The criminal law section discusses both substantive and formal criminal law. Important topics such as legality, intent, culpability, the investigation, the trial, grounds for exclusion, the judicial decision-making model, sentencing and imposition of punishment are discussed. These subjects are discussed on the basis of current literature and relevant case law.