Course 2020-2021 a.y.

50251 - CHINESE LAW

Department of Law

Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 31
CLMG (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/02) - M (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/02) - IM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/02) - MM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/02) - AFC (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/02) - CLELI (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/02) - ACME (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/02) - DES-ESS (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/02) - EMIT (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/02) - GIO (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/02) - DSBA (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/02) - PPA (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/02) - FIN (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/02)
Course Director:
PIETRO SIRENA

Classes: 31 (II sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: HAO JIANG


Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

The primary focus of this course is to introduce to students the legal and constitutional framework in which law is practiced and administered in China. Students are encouraged to think critically about the law and institutions in China compared to their own. A series of doctrinal topics of Chinese private and business law will be studied from a comparative context. In the end, this course will provide students a roadmap and foundation for an increasingly promising Sino-EU cross-border commercial practice.

CONTENT SUMMARY

A.    Chinese Legal Tradition 
B.    Constitutional Structure and Judiciary 
C.    Contract Law 
1.    History of contemporary Chinese contract law
2.    General Principles of Contract Law
a.    Freedom of Contract
b.    Good Faith
c.     Fairness
d.    Good Morals (Gute Sitten)
3.    Offer and acceptance
4.    Pre-Contractual Liability
5.    Vitiating Factors: fraud, duress, mistake
6.    Fairness of Contract 
a.    Price Terms 
b.    Auxiliary Terms
7.    Excuses of Non-performance
a.    Impossibility 
b.    Changed Circumstances
8.    Remedies: Specific Performance and Damage
D.    Tort Law
1.    Scope of rights protected 
a.    Overview
b.    Harm to Dignity
c.    Invasion of Privacy
d.    Pure Economic Harm 
2.    Liability regimes: 
a.    Fault Liability
b.    Strict Liability 
d.    Liability in Equity 
      E. Unjust Enrichment
      F. Property Law
      G. Corporate Law
1.    Corporate formation
2.    Fiduciary Duties
3.    Insider Trading
4.    Foreign Investment Law
 


Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

·         demonstrate a sound knowledge and conceptual understanding of the law and legal systems of China;

·         understand and critically assess Chinese judicial system and court structure;

·         develop a general understanding of Chinese private and business law and how some of the fundamental doctrines in Western law might be interpreted differently in China.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

·         acquire the ability to spot legal issues from and apply doctrinal knowledge to cases.


Teaching methods

  • Face-to-face lectures
  • Online lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Exercises (exercises, database, software etc.)
  • Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
  • Individual assignments
  • Group assignments
  • Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)

DETAILS

  • Guest speakers will intervene during classes or run additional seminars in their own field of expertise.
  • Exercises will consist in the consultation of printed and/or electronic legal resources.
  • Case studies will be illustrated and discussed in class.
  • Group assignments will consist in drawing up a memorandum supported by a PwP presentation.
  • Interactive class activities will consist in discussing memoranda and peer evaluating them

Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
   x x
  • Active class participation (virtual, attendance)
 x    

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Attending students must take two partial exams: partial and end-of-semester. Each of them consists of multiple choice questions and open ended questions. The registered grade is the average between the grades of the two partial exams.

The programme of each partial exams for attending students will be communicated in class.

For students who actively participate in classes and additional seminars, the average may be increased by 3/30 points.

Students failing to pass either of the two partial exams, have to take a general exam, consisting of multiple choice questions and open ended questions. 

The programme of the general exam for attending students is indicated in the section on teaching materials for attending students (see below).

Exams are aimed to verify that students have achieved a solid understanding of the main features of Chinese law


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Non-attending students must take two partial exams: partial and end-of-semester. Each of them consists of multiple choice questions and open ended questions. The registered grade is the average between the grades of the two partial exams.

The programme of each partial exams for attending students will be communicated after the kick-off of the course.

Students failing to pass either of the two partial exams, have to take a general exam, consisting of multiple choice questions and open ended questions. 

The programme of the general exam for attending students will be communicated after the kick-off of the course.

Exams are aimed to verify that students have achieved a solid understanding of the main features of Chinese law


Teaching materials


ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

P. SIRENA, Introduction to Private Law (3rd edn, il Mulino 2021).

Materials drawn from J. GORDLEY, H. JIANG, A.T. VON MEHREN, An Introduction to the Comparative Study of Private Law: Readings, cases, materials (CUP forthcoming).

 

Various academic articles on Chinese corporate law issues will be distributed.

Last change 03/07/2020 19:19