Universidad de Jaén

INTRODUCTION

 

1.- An overview of Spanish Constitutional History

I.- Constitutional Precedents

II.- The Drafting of the 1978 Constitution

2.- Form of Government

I.- Social and Democratic State of Law

A The State of Law

B Superior Values of the Legal Order

II.- Parliamentary Monarchy

III.- Autonomous State

3.- Territory of the State-Geographical Data

4.- Population-Demographic Data

 

PART ONE

THE SOURCES OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

 

CHAPTER 1. CONSTITUTION

1.- General character

2.- Reform Procedures

I.- General Questions

II.- Ordinary Reform Procedure

III.- Extraordinary Reform Procedure

 

CHAPTER 2. TREATIES

1.- The Conclusion of Treaties

2.- The Integration of Treaties in the Spanish legal System

 

CHAPTER 3. LAWS AND NORMS WITH THE FORCE OF LAWS

1.- Classes of norms with the force of norms

1. Ordinary Law
2. Organic Law

III. Legislative Decree

1. Decree-Law
2. Autonomous Law

2.-  Relationship between norms with the force of law

 

CHAPTER 4. JURISPRUDENCE

 

CHAPTER 5. UNWRITTEN LAW

1.- Customary Law

2.- The general Principles of Law

 

CHAPTER 6. THE REGULATIONS

 

CHAPTER 7. CODIFICATION, INTERPRETATION AND PUBLICATION

1.- Codification

2.- Interpretation

3.- Publication

 

PART TWO

CITIZENSHIP AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS

CHAPTER 1 SPANISH NATIONALITY

1.- Constitutional Provisions on Nationality

2.- Legal Regulation of Nationality

I.- Acquisition

II.- Loss

3.- Relevance of Nationality

I.- Constitutional position of Spaniards and Aliens

II.- European Citizenship

III.- The Paradox of Spanish Nationality

CHAPTER 2. THE GENERAL REGIME OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS

1.- The Concept of Fundamental Right

I.- Definition

II.- Normative Sources

III.- Classification of the Rights in Title I

2.- Fundamental Rights: Past and Present

I.- Direct efficacy and the Double Dimension of Fundamental Rights.

II.- Entitlement to Constitutional Rights.

III.- The Consequences of Fundamental Rights between Private Persons.

3.- The Guarantees of Fundamental Rights

I.- The Normative Guarantees of Fundamental Rights

1. The Special Content
2. The Special Reform Procedure
3. The Reservation to Organic Law

II.- Jurisdictional Guarantees

1. The Appeal Process before ordinary Courts
2. Appeals on Grounds of Unconstitutionality before Constitutional Court.
3. International Guarantees, in particular, the Appeal to the European Court of

Human Rights.

III.- Institutional Guarantees

IV.- Restrictions on Rights

4.- The Interpretation of Fundamental Rights

5.- The Principle of Equality

I.- The Aims of the Principle of Equality

II.- The Principle of Equality as a Mandate of the Public Powers

1. Equality in Law
2. Equality before the Law

III.- The Right to Equality

CHAPTER 3. CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS

1. Personal Rights

I.- The Right to Life and Personal Liberty

II.- Personal Liberty

1. Detention
2. Provisional Custody
3. The Right to Penal Legality

III.- Privacy

1. The Rights to Honour, Personal and Family Privacy and Identity
2. Rights Instruments in the Protection of Privacy: the Inviolability of the Home

and the Secrecy of Communication.

1. Data Protection.

IV.- Freedom of Residence and Movement

V.- The Right to contract matrimony

1. Intellectual Freedoms

I.- Ideological Freedom

II.- Religious Freedom

III.- Freedom of Opinion

1. Liberty of Expression
2. Liberty of Artistic and Scientific Creation
3. Academic Freedom
4. Freedom of Information

IV.- The Right to Education and Freedom of Teaching

V.- The Universities’ Right to Autonomy

1. Political Rights

I.- The Right of Assembly

II.- The Right of Association

III.- The Right to Participate in Public Affairs

1. The Right to Political Participation directly or through Representatives
2. The Right of Access to Representative Public Office
3. The Right of Access to Public employment

IV.- The Right of Petition

1. Procedural Rights

I.- Effective Legal Remedies

1. The Right of Access to the Courts
2. The right to a Judgement Founded on Law
3. The Right to Execution of Legal Decisions

II.- The Right to a Defence

III.-The Procedural Guarantees of Art. 24.2

1. The Right to Appear before the Ordinary Judge as predetermined by Law
2. The Right to Public Trial without Undue Delay
3. The Guarantees of the Accused in Criminal Proceedings

CHAPTER 4. ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

1.- Constitutional Rights

I.- Property Rights

1.- The Right to Private Property and Inheritance

2.- The Right to Create a Foundation

3.- Free Enterprise

2.- Employment Rights

1.- The Right to Work and Free Choice of Occupation

2.- The Right to Collective Negotiation

3.- The Right to Adopt Measures in Collective Conflicts and the Fundamental

Right to Strike.

3.- The Guiding Principles of Social and Economic Policy

1.- The Legal Value of the Guiding Principles

2.- Classification of Guiding Principles

4.- Social Rights

5.- The Mandates to Protect Specific Social Groups

6.- Other objectives of Public Policy

CHAPTER 5. CONSTITUTIONAL DUTIES

1.- Overall View

2.- Classification

1.- The Duty to Defend Spain

1. Military Obligations
2. Duties in Extraordinary Situations

2.- Taxation Obligations

3.- Other Constitutional Duties

CHAPTER 6. CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTION OF FOREIGNERS

1.- The legal position of foreigners

1.- Norms on Aliens’ Stay in Spain Equality

2.- Civil rights

2.- Extradition and Right of Asylum.

CHAPTER 8. THE SUSPENSION OF RIGHTS

1.- The Collective Suspension of Rights: Exceptional States

I.- State of alarm

II.- “El Estado de excepción”

III.- State of Seige

2.- Individual “suspension” of Rights: the war against terrorism

The course is developed through theoretical and practical classes.

Theoretical classes will be developed by teachers through systematic and synthetic exposures issues through power points that will be available for students.

The practical classes will be developed through a series of documentaries or movies or series on constitutional issues contained in the different lessons. After the exhibition of these materials a debate between teacher and students will be made.

Finally -only for increasing the vote in the subject-  students can develop a voluntary basis, work on specific topics of interest.  

Students with special educational needs should contact the Student Attention Service (Servicio de Atención y Ayudas al Estudiante) in order to receive the appropriate academic support

1. Presentation and defense through Power point of a subject chosen by the student from the lessons of the program
2. Regular attendance to class
3. Participation/intervention in debates and conferences, seminars or in theoretical and practical classes