Course aims:

• To familiarize students with the fundamental premises and design of the constitutional system and government of Romania.
• To understand the powers of the political authorities and the relations between them.
• To assimilate the human rights from a jurisprudential perspective.
• To equip students with the intellectual tools necessary to properly conceptualize and analyze constitutional issues.

Course Entry Requirements:

N/A

Course contents:

1. Introduction to the study of Constitutional Law; 2. Romanian citizenship. Definition, principles, ways of acquiring, loss of romanian citizenship; 3. Human rights. Definition, history of the concept, classification, principles; 4. Substantive rights: right to life, freedom from torture, right to liberty, freedom of movement, etc.; 5. Social and political rights: freedom of expression, freedom of association, right to peacefully assemble, right for access to courts and to a fair trial; 6. Economic, social and cultural rights: protection of propriety, right to work, right to education, right to medical care, right to culture, etc. ; 7. Political rights. The right to vote and to be elected in the public authorities; 8. The Ombudsman in Romania; 9. The Legislative Power. The Parliament of Romania: election, organization, functioning, legal immunity; 10. Legislative procedure. The delegation of the legislative power; 11. The Executive Power in Romania. The President of Romania: election, the Presidential Powers, impeachment and removal from office; 12. The Executive Power in Romania. The Government of Romania: investiture, structure, the Prime Minister, powers, motion of no confidence, juridical liability of the ministers; 13. The Judicial Power in Romania: the Courts, the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Superior Council of Magistrates; 14. Constitutional Court and constitutionality review in Romania.

Teaching methods:

Lecture, conversation, exemplification.

Learning outcomes:

• Applying theories, principles and concepts in a context determined • Preliminary analysis of the data, their interpretation, the carrying out of classifications and some conceptual delineations

Learning outcomes verification and assessment criteria:

Written paper – interpretative essay – 80%; continuous assessment – 20%.

Recommended reading:

• Mircea Criste, Instituţii constituţionale contemporan, Vest Publishing House, Timişoara, 2011;
• Ştefan Deaconu, Drept constituţional, C.H. Beck Publishing House, Bucureşti, 2011;
• Ştefan Deaconu, Instituţii politice, C.H. Beck Publishing House, Bucureşti, 2012;
• Ioan Muraru, Elena Simiona Tănăsescu, Drept constituţional şi instituţii politice, 13 edition, I and II volume, C. H. Beck Publishing House, Bucureşti, 2009;
• Ioan Muraru, Elena Simina Tănăsescu, coordonatori, Constituţia României. Comentariu pe articole, C.H. Beck Publishing House, Bucureşti, 2008;