Session 1: Introduction to law & jurisprudence

23 November, 2020; 5:30 - 7:30 AM UTC

In this session, participants should aim to uncover debates around the nature of law, be able to distinguish between legal systems and institutions, appreciate core constitutional doctrines and synthesize various sources of law. This session will also help participants understand the analysis of legal provisions and jurisprudence with the help of tools, databases and methods to access them.

Reference Materials

*Tables are hyperlinked, please click the text to access

• Table 1: Overall lay of legal structures

• Table 2: Constitutional guarantees

Reading Materials

Suggested readings:

1. Oxford Library Guides 

2. Types of Legal Systems, University of Ottawa

3. Piotr Mikuli, Seperation of Power (March 2016)

4. The Economist, What is the difference between common and civil law? (July 2013)

5. What is public international law? How are monist and dualist systems different?

6. Cornell Law School, Stare decisis

7. Rod Hollier, The ultimate guide to the ratio decidendi and obiter dictum

8. What is a constitution?

9. Fundamental rights

10. What are human rights and their instruments?

Additional readings:

1. Zachary Holladay, Public interest litigation in India as a paradigm for developing nations

2. International law in municipal frameworks

3. Guide to statutory interpretation

Session Presentation

Session Summary

Cyrilla Database (Digital rights legal resources)