Administrative and Public law

The aim of the course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of the Italian institutional and administrative system and of the main institutions of public and administrative 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, as well as the administrative system and the main institutions of administrative law. The goal is to develop legal understanding of social, institutional, and administrative phenomena, to foster civic awareness, and to promote greater consciousness of their role in society. Students will acquire the essential tools to decode a legal text, grasp its systemic coherence also in relation to supranational sources and its potential applications, and to draft and apply administrative acts and measures.

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

Making judgments: students will develop the ability to critically analyze legislation, institutional processes, and administrative phenomena, and to argue their opinions on a legal basis, primarily with reference to the Italian Constitution and its values. They will also develop the ability to independently integrate legal knowledge with that of other disciplinary fields, thereby strengthening 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

Attendance is recommended but not compulsory.
Attending students may take the written exam on the topics covered during lectures.

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

The territorial organization of the Republic

Administrative functions and powers

The organization of public administrations

The administrative procedure

Administrative acts and measures

Instruments of protection

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

Supplementary readings in administrative law will be provided by the instructor.

In the oral exam covering the full 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 the connections between the different legal institutions involved. 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; appropriateness of legal language.

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
• The administrative procedure
• Public bodies