For those in the business of governing, understanding the institutions, methods and substance of the law is crucial. Policy-makers must understand the law, both as a potential instrument of societal change, and as an important constraint on the process of regulation and decision-making. The course Law and Governance will explore the relationship between law and governance, providing course participants with an introduction into legal decision-making and the role of law and courts in the political system. It will also aim to develop core legal skills such as legal argumentation and interpretation. A particular priority will be to explore the multi-level nature of modern law. The growth of international and regional organizations and regimes has increasingly made disputes and rules that were once the subject of international constraints and norms. At the same time, trans-national legal orders may have a quite different character from their national counter-parts. The course will therefore draw on examples from both the EU and International legal orders.
Instructors
- Mark Dawson , Professor of European Law and Governance
- Pierre Thielbörger , Adjunct Faculty