General provisions

Determined on August 30, 2007 by Faculty of Law's Teaching Committee, Uppsala University, by virtue of Chapter 2 Section 5 a of the Higher Education Act and Chapter 6 Section 14 and 15 of the Higher Education Ordinance. The course plan enters into force on September 1, 2007.

In General

The course is 15 university points (15 ECTS credits). The course is a freestanding course at advanced level and is only offered to foreign students. The course is held in English.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to introduce foreign students to the main features of Swedish law. The teaching will focus on aspects of Swedish law and the Swedish legal system that are of particular interest from a comparative point of view. The ambition is that the knowledge of Swedish law will make the students pose new questions and enhance the understanding of the student's native legal system. Students are expected to acquire a basic knowledge of Swedish law in the areas covered by the course.

In the areas covered by the course students are expected to be able to apply Swedish law in a basic manner having regard to the limitations imposed due to the availability in English of Swedish legal sources.

Content

The course focuses on the basic tenets of Swedish legal culture, that is to say Swedish legal history, legal philosophy, constitutional law, criminal law, administrative law, social security law, private law and procedural law.

Instruction

The teaching consists of lectures and seminars. Most lectures will be followed up with a seminar. The seminar aims to provide the students with a deeper understanding of the relevant legal area. The teaching in the form of seminars is based on problem based learning, which inter alia means that the students are divided into tutorial groups (4-5 in each group). The tutorial groups are expected to prepare the seminar questions in advance. At the actual seminar the students are expected to participate actively in the discussion. One or several seminars may take the form of moot courts.

Assessment

During the course students shall write an essay. All students will also act as opponents on an essay. Opposition and defence are oral. A written exam takes place at the end of the course. The exam may be given in the form of a home-exam. Besides passing the exam the students must participate in at least 75 per cent of classroom work, participate actively in the seminars, compose an essay and orally defend their essays.

Cheating is not allowed. Exams, also home-exams, and essays must be the individual work of the student – they are a non-collaborative activity! Essays should contain references to the sources used. When a student is found cheating disciplinary measures will be taken in accordance with University rules. Such measures range from a warning of the student to a suspension of up to six months.

The grades given are Fail (U), and the passing grades Pass (B), Pass with credit (Ba) and Pass with distinction (AB).