LAW10060 Constitutional Law: Fundamental Rights under the Constitution of Ireland

Academic Year 2022/2023

This course considers how the Constitution of Ireland protects fundamental rights and the relationship of these rights to the State's obligations under the international human rights treaties to which it is a party. Examples of the fundamental and human rights that may be considered are: personal liberty; trial in due course of law; freedom of expression, assembly and association; religion; the family and education; private property; other personal rights, enumerated (such as the right to life) or unenumerated (such as privacy) and equality before the law. The course also considers which remedies a court can grant for violations of rights and may also deal with some other incidental topics - such as the Directive Principles of Social Policy. Irish Constitutional Law (of which this module forms a part) is an entry examination subject for both the Law Society and the Honorable Society of King's Inns.

In 2018/19 there will be a coursework component to the module; the one-hour end of trimester examination will count for 55% of the credit for the module, an essay (due in Week 7) for 30%, a group presentation for 10% and tutorial attendance and participation for 5%. The group presentation is part of the Legal Writing and Research programme across Level 1; it will be made in the tutorials, at varying points during the trimester.

Please note that the end-of-trimester examination will be one hour long and not two hours. The examination takes the form of one compulsory problem question.