Student guide Faculty of Law A.Y. 2007/08

Comparative Private Law
Lesson timetable, Notice board, Additional material
Aim of the course
This course will introduce students to the study of comparative law in the light of its present-day values and mechanisms, with particular reference to the creation of a European private law. It will therefore cover the major areas of private law which most strongly exhibit a tendency to create a new ius commune: the area of obligations and contracts; the area of third-party liability.
The study of these areas, with the aid of legal comparison methods, is designed to establish the existence of variations on a common theme, in view of the elimination of the traditional dichotomy between civil law and common law.
Syllabus
1.   Obligations and contracts.
1.1 Formation of the contract and basic elements.
1.2  Consideration and grounds for contract.
1.3 Invalidity of contract.
1.4 Breach of contract and remedies.
1.5 Contracts in favour of third parties.
1.6 Contract law in a European perspective: European Commission Communications and harmonisation proposals.
 2.   Third-party liability.
2.1 Nature and purposes of third-party liability: cost and prevention of accidents.
2.2 Third-party liability models in comparative law: typical and atypical offences.
2.3 Liability for negligence and the role of wilful misconduct.
2.4 The causal nexus and unfairness of prejudice;
2.5 Objective liability.
2.6 Significant types of third-party liability: liability relating to vehicles; professional liability; product liability.
 3.   Property and ownership situations.
3.1 Ownership situations in common law.
3.2 Circulation of models.
 4.   Trust and its applications in current law.

Seminar-type meetings will be held, which will be announced during lectures.
 
Examinations
Oral exams will be held at the end of the course.
 
Reading list
One text to be chosen from the following two:
·         Alpa, G., Bonell, M. J., Corapi, D., Mocca, L., Zeno Zencovich, V., Diritto privato comparato, Laterza, Rome-Bari, 1999.
·         Gallo, P., Introduzione al diritto comparato, volume II. Istituti giuridici, Giappichelli, Turin, 1998.

The following should also be read:
·         Sacco, R., entry entitled Contratto in diritto comparato, in Dig. IV, Disc. priv. sez. civ., UTET, Turin, 1995 (pp. 138-147).
·         Mattei, U., entry entitled Proprietà, in Dig. IV, Disc. priv. sez. civ., UTET, Turin, 1997 (pp. 432-456).
·         Gambaro, A., entry entitled Proprietà in diritto comparato, in Dig. IV, Disc. priv. sez. civ., UTET, Turin, 1997 (pp. 502-525).
·         Monateri, P. G., entry entitled Responsabilità civile in diritto comparato, in Dig. XVII, Disc. priv. sez. civ., UTET, Turin, 1998 (pp. 12-24).
·         Benacchio, G., Diritto privato della Comunità europea: fonti, modelli, regole, Cedam, Padua, 2001, 2nd ed., chapter I – Il diritto privato comunitario e l’attività di armonizzazione, uniformazione, unificazione (pp. 3-36); and chapter VI – La rinascita del diritto comune europeo (pp. 159-188), only. 

Further reading will be recommended to students during lectures.
 Students will also be required to analyse precedents agreed with the lecturers.