Course Objectives
At the end of this Course students should be able to:
- Identify the issues concerning the cultural foundations and the origin and ends of laws in society.
- Critically analyze the issues of legitimacy of legal frameworks in society,
- Comment critically on Law and Justice in society, and
- Show ability to carefully present alternative perspectives in legal arguments.
- To be able to critically understand the fundamental presuppositions of international law and the legitimacy of extra-territorial application of punishment on individuals and societies.
Course Outline
This course provides a systematic consideration of the fundamental issues in the conception and practice of law, origin of law, laws, commands and orders, sovereignty and subject, legitimacy and autonomy, laws, ethics and justice, democracy and the law, gender and the law, discrimination and reverse discrimination, war and laws, sanctity of life and law - suicide, capital punishment, cloning, organ transplantation, etc., conscience and the law. It provides a forum for the discussion of such perennial themes in legal theory as the nature and function of law, the relation of law to morality, the function of rules in legal reasoning, and the connection between law and social policy. We look at philosophical issues in crime, civil rights, punishment, and the legislation of morality. International laws - perspectives and problems.
Methodology
Course will be administered by a combination of Seminars and Lectures.
Contact Hours: 3 Hours weekly.
Evaluation
- One Course Work essay (3,500 to 4,000 words) … … 40%
- Final Examination … … 60%