Principles of Common Law
General Information
https://www.qmsl.uzh.ch/en/4KNXCYou will find all information about the course here (there is no OLAT page).
For any questions regarding the lecture, please use only the following email address: lst.alexander@ius.uzh.ch, and kindly refrain from contacting the lecturers directly.
The lectures will be held on Monday, 10:15pm - 12:00pm, Room KOL-G-204, starting 15 September 2025 until 15 December 2025.
EVALUATIONS
Course evaluations are available here:
English: https://www.qmsl.uzh.ch/en/4KNXC
German: https://www.qmsl.uzh.ch/de/4KNXC
Syllabus and Reading Materials
COURSE SYLLABUS
READING MATERIALS
This is a provisorial material list. It will be updated during the semester.
Books
- Benjamin Cardozo, 'The Nature of the Judicial Process' (New Haven, Yale)
- William Geldart, edited by DCM Yardley, 'Introduction to English Law' (Oxford Univ Press, Oxford)
- Glanville Williams, 'Learning the Law' (Sweet & Maxwell, 16th edition, ed. A.T.H. Smith)
Lecture 1 - Introduction to Practice, Precedent (15.09.25)
Optional Readings
G. Williams - The Division of the Law, Chapter 1 (PDF, 4 MB)
W. Geldart, Chapter 1 (PDF, 477 KB)
W. Geldart, Chapter 2 (PDF, 1011 KB)
Lecture 2 - Case Law Method, Statutory Interpretation (22.09.25)
Optional Readings
G. Williams - The Case Law Technique, Chapter 6 (PDF, 5 MB) (PDF, 5 MB)
G. Williams - The Interpretation of Statutes, Chapter 7 (PDF, 3 MB) (PDF, 3 MB)
Lecture 3 - Role of Judges and Juries & History of Common Law (29.09.25)
Cardozo - The Nature of the Judicial Process, Lecture I (PDF, 638 KB) ( pp 9-50) (PDF, 638 KB)
Cardozo - The Nature of the Judicial Process, Lecture II (PDF, 11 MB) (pp 51-97) (PDF, 11 MB)
Cardozo - The Nature of the Judicial Process, Lecture IV (PDF, 509 KB) (pp 142-180) (PDF, 509 KB)
Optional Readings
O. W. Holmes Jr. - The Common Law, Chapter 7 (PDF, 263 KB) (PDF, 263 KB)
O. W. Holmes Jr. - The Common Law, Chapter 8 (PDF, 351 KB) (PDF, 351 KB)
K. Llewellyn - The Bramble Bush, pp 81-89 (PDF, 2 MB) (PDF, 2 MB)
Lecture 4 - Tort Law and the Common Good (06.10.2025)
Holmes, Chapter 3 (PDF, 950 KB)
Holmes, Chapter 4 (PDF, 635 KB)
Accident Law: In Tort and Beyond (PDF, 531 KB)
North Brouward Hospital District vs. Susan Kalitan Case (Florida Supreme Court) (PDF, 306 KB)
Geldart, Chapter 7 (PDF, 512 KB)
Lecture 5 - Criminal Law (13.10.2025)
HLA Hart, Law, Liberty, and Morality. (PDF, 7 MB)
Lecture 6 - Property Law (20.10.2025)
Geldart, Chapter 5 (PDF, 2 MB)
Simon, A Slave v. The State of Florida (PDF, 6 MB)
Lecture 7 - Contract Law (27.10.2025)
Lecture 8 - Contracts Cntd (03.11.2025)
Optional Readings
Baskind, Osborne, Roach, Commercial Law, pp. 1-17
Lecture 9 - Wills and Trusts, Law of Succession (10.11.2025)
Geldart, Chapter 2 (PDF, 1011 KB)
Addtional: Introduction to Trusts (PDF, 329 KB)
Lecture 10 - International Law (17.11.2025)
E. Denza, "The Relationship Between International and National Law" (p 393-409). (PDF, 10 MB)
Lecture 11 - Constitutional and Public Law (24.11.2025)
Poole, Back to the Future (PDF, 144 KB)
Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (PDF, 1 MB)
Lecture 12 - IP and Recap (01.12.2025)
‘World Intellectual Property Report Intellectual Property Basics: A Q&A for Students’
Lecture 13 - Jurisprudence and Legal Philosophy (08.12.2025)
Hart, HLA, ‘Separation of Law and Morals’, p 6 -24 (PDF, 2 MB)
Dworkin, Ronald, Law’s Empire, ‘Is Law A System of Rules?’ (PDF, 6 MB)
Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (PDF, 1 MB)
HLA Hart, Law, Liability, and Morality (PDF, 7 MB)
Philosophy of Law_Murphy_Coleman_2019 (PDF, 37 MB)
***Additional reading 1.12.25 Finalcial Times piece "Trial by Jury...Needs Protecting" (PDF, 933 KB)
Lecture 14 - Review (15.12.2025)
No New Readings.
Lecture Slides
Lecture 1 (15 September 2025) (PDF, 2 MB)
Lecture 2 (22 September 2025) (PDF, 2 MB)
Lecture 3 (29 September 2025) (PDF, 921 KB)
Lecture 4 (6 October 2025) (PDF, 1 MB)
Lecture 5 (updated; 13 October 2025) (PDF, 927 KB)
Lecture 6 (20 October 2025) (PDF, 786 KB)
Lecture 7 Part 1 (27 October 2025) (PDF, 590 KB)
Lecture 7 Part 2 (27 October 2025) (PDF, 410 KB)
Lecture 8 (3 November 2025) (PDF, 580 KB)
Lecture 9 (10 November 2025) (PDF, 357 KB)
Lecture 10 (17 November 2025) (PDF, 535 KB)
Lecture 11 (24 November 2025, updated slides) (PDF, 2 MB)
Lecture 12 Part 1 (1 December 2025) (PDF, 2 MB)
Lecture 12 Part 2 (1 December 2025) (PDF, 2 MB)
Lecture 13 (8 December 2025) (PDF, 1020 KB)
Lecture 14 (15.12.2025)
Podcasts
Lectures will be recorded and made available online as podcasts as soon as possible, note this may not always be weekly or in advance of the next lecture.
However, due to potential technical issues, recordings may be incomplete, unavailable, or temporarily inaccessible. Students are therefore strongly encouraged to attend lectures in person. Please note that loss of access to recordings does not constitute valid grounds for an examination appeal.
EXAM
Regular Exam
Exam date: 6 January 2026
Exam format: written exam, open book
For information on exam dates and related matters, please consult the corresponding UZH website.