OVERVIEW

The course consist in an in-depth study of topics concerning private and procedural international law

UN SDG: 16 (Rule of law and access to justice).

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the course, students will have acquired the methodological tools and specific, advanced skills of private and procedural international law, will be able to understand and analyse current legal issues in private cross-border relations and will be able to develop independently and critically possible solutions to open questions.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course will give students knowldege in free movement of judgments, international jurisdiction, applicable law to cross-border cases. Students will comprehend i) principles and main rules of private international law, in particular related to the domestic act of PIL; ii) limits to domestic jurisdiction in light of EU and international law; iii) functioning of conflict of laws rules to determine the applicable law; iv) recognition of foreign judgments. Particualr attention will be given to the residual scope of application of domestic provisions of private international law following the adoption of numerous EU Regulations.

Those skills will enable students to best fit into international professional contexts, through the acquisition of knowledge appropriate to professional profiles within the diplomatic career, international and European organizations and institutions, as well as in other public and private actors and entities operating in the international context. The subject is also foreseen in the diplomatic career access exam.

At the end of the course, the student will have to:

• acquire and use the correct terminology for the identification and description of the institutions and rules of private international law;
• describe and understand the rules and institutions of private international law;
• critically analyze the main open issues that characterize the rules and institutions of private international law;
• know how to apply the knowledge acquired to practical cases, through the analysis of concrete examples.

On a voluntary basis, participation in presentation activities is intended to enable people to acquire team working and public speaking skills.

PREREQUISITES

Basic knowledge of International Law and European Union Law is required.

TEACHING METHODS

Teaching is given in person and is articulated in frontal lectures in which theoretical notions will be analyzed, followed by several examples. 

Didactic materials are uploaded on aulaweb. Students are encouraged to sign in in the webpage. 

For students attending classes:
On a voluntary basis, alongside theoretical lectures, interested persons (individually or in groups of two) will be able to present rulings assigned by the lecturer to deepen general topics and develop team working and public speaking skills, obtaining a specific open badge in 'transversal skills'.

Students who have duly filed a certification of DSA, disability or other special educational needs are advised to contact both the contact person Prof. Aristide Canepa (aristide.canepa@unige.it) and the lecturer at the beginning of the course, in order to agree on teaching and examination methods that, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning methods and provide suitable compensatory tools.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course deals with:

PIL terminology

Scope of application of the Italian PIL act

EU intervention in PIL after the Amsterdam Treaty in 1997

Scope of Italian jurisdiction in light of domestic, EU and international law

Coordination ofn EU law and domestic law

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Students attending classes:

Notes and materials on aulaweb can be integrated with P. Franzina, Introduzione al diritto internazionale privato, Giappichelli, 2023, limited to the topics covered during the lectures. 

Students non attending classes:

P. Franzina, Introduzione al diritto internazionale privato, Giappichelli, 2023

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Lectures will start the week of 15th September 2025

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Exams take place in person. Oral exam usually consist of three questions on topics covered during classes - or on topics covers by thextbooks for students non attending classes.

Students taking part to 2/3 of in person classes are given the possibility to take a written test at the end of the course.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam will verify the acquisition of competences, legal reasoning and thinking, as well as the acquisition of proper legal terminology.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Subscription to the Aulaweb page of the course is strongly recommended.