The course gives an introduction to legal theory, methods for comparisons between different legal systems, and an overview of major legal systems. In legal theory the participants will discuss different view on law, such as positivism, natural law and law and economics. In comparative law focus will be given to the development of legal families and the most influential legal systems. The course also deals with how the procedures, which the law regulates, can be modelled and presented in a formalized way.
The course will include two assignments. In the first assignment the participants compare solutions to a legal problem in some legal systems from a legal point of view. The second assignment is dedicated to comparing procedures in a formal way (for example about how real property is sold in different countries) using ontology based modelling.