At the end of the course, students will be able to:
a. Define, understand and use the legal concepts and principles that shape environmental and sustainable development law;
b. Read, understand and comment on a court decision dealing with a legal issue covered in the course;
c. Understand the role played by international and European law in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and, in particular, in protecting the environment;
d. Explain the potential, qualities and shortcomings of legal instruments in protecting the environment and implementing sustainable development policies;
e. Understand the interweaving of legal disciplines (private law, public law, European and international law) and non-legal disciplines (economics, sociology, physics, etc.) in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
In addition to these disciplinary skills, students must also acquire a series of soft skills:
a. Communicating precise, nuanced and convincing legal reasoning orally;
b. Defending a point of view in an argumentative and rigorous manner in a complex field;
c. Feeding the teaching with personal contributions and reflections (orally, during the course and in the student work);
d. Demonstrating a critical approach to a legal rule, a legal solution, a political proposal or any other resource seen during the course;
e. Demonstrating autonomy and responsibility in the implementation of tools leading to success;
f. Reflecting on the environmental and social impact of his/her actions;
g. Evaluating its standards, practices and values in the light of the Sustainable Development Goals.
h. Learning to work and think in groups.
The climate catastrophes that have struck the planet, put into perspective by the latest IPCC reports, suggest that the 'Environmental Law' course, although traditionally an optional course, will occupy a central place in the training of current and future students, whether or not they are lawyers.
The aim of the course is to analyse and explain, for lawyers and non-lawyers alike, how the law reacts and can contribute to protecting the environment using its own principles and techniques.
The course also aims to show how environmental law, and law in general, is evolving to make way for a new imperative, sustainable development firstly and ecological transition secondly.
More broadly, the course aims to make students aware of the importance of the environmental and sustainable development issues facing us, with a view to helping them become committed citizens and responsible players in society. As such, the course contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
After identifying the sources of environmental law, the course highlights the main principles that structure the subject (precautionary principle, polluter pays principle, integration principle, etc.), while emphasising two new fundamental trends: the construction of environmental democracy and the emergence of the concept of sustainable development in law. Close attention is paid to digital technology and its positive and negative impacts on the environment. Finally, the course addresses how the legal framework relating to human rights can contribute to environmental protection.
This year, the subject matter will be further illuminated and enriched by the lessons taught as part of the Francqui Chair awarded to Prof. Dr. Delphine Misonne. The content of the course can be adapted accordingly in a dynamic dialogue with the Chair.
Cfr Content
There are no practical exercises/monitoring for this course.
The course combines lectures and discussions based on resources that are often reviewed in advance. The course's WebCampus page is regularly updated and used as the main source of information.
The course aims to illustrate the scope of the concepts and principles presented through topical examples and collaboration with experts, and encourages the active participation of students with a view to co-creating knowledge. Ultimately, it is the students themselves who are the primary guarantors of their success.
The lecture course is further enhanced by lessons given as part of the Francqui Chair awarded to Prof. Dr. Delphine Misonne.
The teaching method used is original: inspired by Ignatian pedagogy and its ‘experience-reflection-action’ paradigm, it is based on transformative education tools and the ‘head-heart-hands’ approach. Thus, lectures can be supplemented with outdoor sessions (in parks, forums, etc.).
The assessment takes the form of a written assignment, theoretical and exploratory, to be completed in groups on a current legal issue in collaboration with Canopéa, the federation of Belgian environmental associations. The work is the subject of an oral presentation.
The use of AIg must be done in an ethical, thoughtful, responsible, and transparent manner in order to be a complement to the reflection delivered within the work and not a substitute. Any contribution generated by an IAg tool must be referenced in accordance with the current bibliographic standards.
Where applicable, students' participation in certain activities offered during the term may be taken into account in the final assessment.
For further information, please consult the course's WebCampus page.
| Training | Study programme | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master in Management, Professional focus in Business Analysis & Integration | Standard | 0 | 5 | |
| Standard | 0 | 3 | ||
| Master in Management | Standard | 0 | 5 | |
| Standard | 0 | 3 | ||
| Master in Management, Teaching focus | Standard | 0 | 5 | |
| Standard | 0 | 3 | ||
| Bachelor in Philosophy | Standard | 0 | 5 | |
| Standard | 0 | 3 | ||
| Standard | 0 | 3 | ||
| Bachelor in Law | Standard | 0 | 3 | |
| Standard | 1 | 3 | ||
| Master in Management | Standard | 1 | 5 | |
| Master in Management, Teaching focus | Standard | 1 | 5 | |
| Standard | 1 | 3 | ||
| Standard | 1 | 3 | ||
| Standard | 1 | 3 | ||
| Standard | 1 | 3 | ||
| Master in Management, Professional focus in Business Analysis & Integration | Standard | 1 | 5 | |
| Master in Management, Teaching focus | Standard | 2 | 5 | |
| Master in Management, Professional focus in Business Analysis & Integration | Standard | 2 | 5 | |
| Bachelor in Philosophy | Standard | 2 | 5 | |
| Bachelor in Law | Standard | 2 | 3 | |
| Bachelor in Philosophy | Standard | 3 | 5 | |
| Bachelor in Law | Standard | 3 | 3 |