Course code

AKJ6041.YK

old course code

AKJ6041

Course title in Estonian

Õiguse alused

Course title in English

Basics of Law

ECTS credits

4.0

Assessment form

Examination

lecturer of 2024/2025 Autumn semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

lecturer of 2024/2025 Spring semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

Course aims

The objective of the course is to introduce students to law as both a normative order and a social practice. The aim is also to initiate students into legal science, i.e., the study of law and legal phenomena. The students will learn basic knowledge and terminology that are needed for the understanding of modern Western legal cultures.

Brief description of the course

The course is comprised of two parts. The first part consists of 14 hours of lectures. Some group work will also be done within the lectures. The lectures will deal with following issues: law as a normative order; law as institutions and practices (law-making, courts and adjudication, legal science); law as a societal phenomenon; legal systems (continental, common law, etc.); branches of law (public law, private law, etc.); legal professions; legal argumentation and interpretation; sources of law (legislation, precedents, preliminary works, soft law, etc.); legal norms (rules, principles); legal science (legal dogmatic, legal theory, sociology of law, law and economics, legal history, etc.)

The second part consists of 14 hours of seminar work. Before the seminar part, each student is given three weeks to independently write a seminar paper of 10–12 pages (in English) on a topic that is related to the contents of the course. The topics will be suggested by the teacher but the students may also propose topics to their liking. In the seminar each student will present her paper while another student will act as an opponent.

Learning outcomes in the course

Upon completing the course the student:
- masters basic legal terminology;
- understands law’s basic functions in modern societies; especially in relation to other fields of societal action such as politics and economics;
- understands the difference between different legal systems as well as branches of law;
- grasps the nature of main legal practices (law-making, adjudication and legal science);
- is able to engage in basic legal argumentation has elementary conception of academic (legal) writing;
- is able to use the basic methods of implementing the law.

Teacher

eesti keeles: Aare Kruuser; inglise keeles: T. Kotkas; 2012/13 õa M. Kiikeri; 2013/14: W.L. Burns

The course is a prerequisite

Study programmes containing that course

Public Relations (KOSKB/15.FK)
Environmental Management (MLKSB/15.LT)
Philosophy (HIFIB/15.HT)
Law (AKLB/15.YK)
History (AIAJB/15.HT)
Law (AKOB/15.YK)
Psychology (PSPSB/15.LT)
Computer Science (IFIFB/15.DT)
Politics and Government (RIRIB/15.YK)
Journalism (KOAB/15.FK)
Liberal Arts in Social Sciences (KKLSB/15.YK)
Information Science (INITB/15.DT)
Sociology (RASLB/15.YK)
Social Work (STSTB/15.YK)
Psychology (PSPSB/14.LT)
Law (AKLB/14.YK)
Sociology (RASLB/14.YK)
History (AIAJB/14.HT)
Environmental Management (MLKSB/14.LT)
Public Relations (KOSKB/14.FK)
Philosophy (HIFIB/14.HT)
Law (AKOB/14.YK)
Information Science (INITB/14.DT)
Computer Science (IFIFB/14.DT)
Public and Business Management (RKHKB/14.YK)
Liberal Arts in Social Sciences (KKLSB/14.YK)
Journalism (KOAB/14.FK)
Social Work (STSTB/14.YK)
Politics and Government (RIRIB/14.YK)
Recreation Management (TSRKB/13.LT)
Law (AKOB/13.YK)
Computer Science (IFIFB/13.DT)
Law (AKLB/13.YK)
Psychology (PSPSB/13.LT)
Philosophy (HIFIB/13.HT)
Politics and Government (RIRIB/13.YK)
Sociology (RASLB/13.YK)
History (AIAJB/13.HT)
Journalism (KOAB/13.FK)
Liberal Arts in Social Sciences (KKLSB/13.YK)
Information Science (INITB/13.DT)
Public Relations (KOSKB/13.FK)
Public and Business Management (RKHKB/13.YK)
Environmental Management (MLKSB/13.LT)
Social Work (STSTB/13.YK)
Law (AKLB/12.YK)
Liberal Arts in Social Sciences (KKLSB/12_1.YK)
Journalism (KOAB/12.FK)
Law with Management (AKJB/12.YK)
Philosophy (HIFIB/12.HT)
Psychology (PSPSB/12.LT)
Sociology (RASLB/12.YK)
Information Science (INITB/12.DT)
Environmental Management (MLKSB/12.LT)
Computer Science (IFIFB/12.DT)
Social Work (STSTB/12.YK)
Arts Therapies (KUKTB/12.LT)
Law (AKOB/12.YK)
Public Relations (KOSKB/12.FK)
Recreation Management (TSRKB/12.LT)
Traffic Safety (HKLOR/12.HK)
Politics and Government (RIRIB/12.YK)
Liberal Arts in Social Sciences (KKLSB/12.YK)
History (AIAJB/12.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/12.HT)
Environmental Management (MLKSB/11.LT)
Liberal Arts in Social Sciences (KKLSB/11_2.YK)
Public and Business Management (RKHKB/11.YK)
Law (AKOB/11.YK)
Recreation Management (TSRKB/11.LT)
Information Science (INITB/11.DT)
Public and Business Management (RIHKB/11.YK)
Traffic Safety (HKLOR/11.HK)
Choreography (KUKOB/11.FK)
Liberal Arts in Social Sciences (KKLSB/11.YK)
Marketing (AKMRB/12.YK)
History (AIAJB/11.HT)
Politics and Government (RIRIB/11.YK)
Teacher of History and Civic (AIAOM/12.HT)
Public and Business Management (RIHKB/11-1.YK)
Liberal Arts in Social Sciences (KKLSB/11_1.YK)
Humanities (KKHB/11.HT)
Marketing (AKMRB/11.YK)
Recreation Management (TSRKB/10.LT)
History (AIAJB/10.HT)
Film Arts (BFFVB/10.FK)
Teacher of History and Civic (AIAOM/11.HT)
Teacher of History and Civic (AIAOM/05.HT)
Politics and Government (RIRIB/00.YK)
History (AIAJB/00.HT)
Psychology (PSPSB/00.LT)