The scholarly seminar offers students, especially from the Law Faculty of Charles University, a platform to analyze and discuss current human rights topics, which may relate to individual specific human rights issues, as well as may have overlaps with the general theory of constitutionalism. At the core of the course is the activity of students who, through a short presentation, present a selected topic, the background of a human rights or constitutional theoretical problem and its possible solutions. The following discussion is then used to test the theses presented.

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The student will become familiar with a number of partial problems in the field of human rights and constitutional theory in considerable detail, given the sub-focus of each of the seminars. He/she will thus gain an overview of current issues in a way that will enable him/her to develop the most important legal competences and skills. These include, in particular, the ability to identify the basic problems of a given discourse, to work with relevant sources, to analyse the structure of a particular problem and to offer solutions based on the construction of critical arguments.

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Students may choose one of the following concepts for their paper:

• introduce a topic that they have been working on for a long time in their academic activities (e.g., SVOČ thesis, master's thesis, rigorous thesis, dissertation);

• present a current topic of their choice and in consultation with the course supervisor (e.g., topic related to current case law, current professional publication);

• present a current topic based on recommended case law and professional literature, which will be provided to students at the beginning of the semester.

 

The student will send out the basic thesis of the presentation at least two days before the course session to allow other participants to actively participate in the discussion.

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Topics of the research seminar in the winter semester of the academic year 2024/2025:

21. 10. 2024 - Nela Šafrová, Markéta Chytilová, Johanna Baláčková: Women's Reproductive Rights in the Context of the USA

04. 11. 2024 - Lenka Nováková, Jan Veber, Ondřej Soukup: The Limits of an Individual's Control Over Human Rights​

18. 11. 2024 - Ivan Kotsupal, David Bartošek: Human Rights in the Context of Martial Governance in Ukraine

02. 12. 2024 - Karin Theerová, Milada Matoušková: Protection of EU Values in the Context of Slovakia's Political and Constitutional Development

09. 12. 2024 - Antonín Pelikán, Ondřej Švejda: The Immunity of the U.S. President