ISTITUZIONI DI DIRITTO PUBBLICO

The aim of the course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of the Italian institutional system and the main institutions of public law, also in a supranational perspective, and to offer them the necessary skills for professional practice in the relevant fields.

Knowledge and understanding: students will acquire basic knowledge concerning the constitutional regulation of rights and duties and the organization of public powers, also in the supranational context. This will allow them to develop legal understanding of social and institutional phenomena, a civic awareness, and a greater consciousness of their role in society. Through the study of legal sources and interpretative rules, students will acquire the essential tools to decode a legal text, grasp its systemic coherence also in relation to supranational sources, and recognize its potential applications.

Applying knowledge and understanding: students will be able to understand the fundamental logics of institutional processes and the ongoing evolution of the regulatory framework, and to apply the legal knowledge acquired to specific and concrete cases.

Making judgments: students will develop the ability to critically analyze institutional processes and legislation, and to argue their opinions on a legal basis, primarily with reference to the Italian Constitution and its underlying values. They will also develop the ability to independently integrate legal knowledge with that of other disciplinary fields, thus enhancing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Communication skills: students will be able to communicate clearly and persuasively, using appropriate legal language, the results of their analyses and their implications, including when addressing non-specialist audiences.

Learning skills: students will be able to independently identify learning pathways to deepen their knowledge, particularly by conducting research through consultation of texts, academic journals, and databases, and by organizing and managing work both individually and in groups.

Lectures, class discussions of cases, guest speakers, and dialogue with experts.

None.

• The legal system
• The constituent elements of the state and the forms of state
• The fundamental principles of the constitutional order
• Rights, freedoms, and duties
• Forms of government
• Parliament
• Sources of law
• Government
• The judiciary
• The President of the Republic
• Constitutional justice
• Public administrations
• The territorial organization of the Republic

F. Giuffré, I.A. Nicotra, F. Paterniti, Diritto Costituzionale e pubblico, 7th edition, Giappichelli, 2025.

In the oral exam, covering the entire syllabus, students must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principles and legal institutions of the subject. They must be able to independently analyze relevant sources and case law, correctly use the technical legal vocabulary of the subject, and demonstrate the ability to argue legal theses, highlighting connections between the various institutions. This will show their ability to apply the legal method to solve concrete cases.

For the grading of the oral exam (out of 30 points), the following criteria will be considered: knowledge and understanding of legal institutions, ability to apply them to concrete cases, and appropriateness of legal language acquired.

Only attending students may take the written test, which includes 10 multiple-choice questions and 2 open-ended questions on topics covered in lectures.

Students who obtain an “insufficient” grade must take the oral exam on the full syllabus.

Students who receive a grade requiring “integration” must take an oral integration consisting of one question on the full syllabus (worth up to 3 points) and will not be required to prepare a case study.

Students who achieve at least 18/30 may supplement their grade by up to 3 points in the oral exam with the analysis of a case study, chosen independently (e.g., judgments, legal or administrative acts discussed in class or in the textbook). This supplementary option is available only once and cannot be repeated.

All attending students may refuse the grade obtained in the written test and instead take the oral exam on the full syllabus.
The grade obtained in the written test is valid for the summer and autumn exam sessions.
Attending students intending to take the oral exam for “integration,” to supplement their grade with a case study, or to retake the full exam must register for the official exam sessions.

By way of example, discussion may start from one of the following topics:

The principle of equality

Personal liberty

Parliamentarism

The features of the Constitution