Osaka: Compar Con Law - Rights

Catalog description

This course is a seminar that explores how different rights are enshrined, interpreted, and enforced in different constitutional systems. It will be limited to an examination of a few systems, and only a few specific rights. The emphasis will be on comparing the systems of the United States with those of Canada, Japan, and both the E.U. and in some cases certain specific European countries. Some reference will also be made to systems such as South Africa. The analysis will focus on equality rights, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and security of the person and autonomy. The course will begin with a theoretical exploration of the different understandings of the nature of rights, the role of the judiciary and judicial review in a democracy, and how the limitations on rights and justifications of infringement are, and ought to be, analyzed. Prior completion recommended of Constitutional Law II. Graded.