Teaching code

4S01080

Teacher

Giuliano Stasio

Coordinator

Giuliano Stasio

Credits

6

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

IUS/13 - INTERNATIONAL LAW

Period

2° periodo lezioni (2B) dal Apr 8, 2026 al May 20, 2026.

Courses Single

Authorized

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars 0

Learning objectives

The objective of the course is to offer to the audience the conceptual tools needed to understand, analyse and deal with the questions arising out cases having an international element. The course, conducted by promoting critical reasoning and interaction in class, aims at providing students with the ability to navigate through the plurality of legal sources governing jurisdiction, choice-of-law and recognition/enforcement of foreign judicial acts/decisions in the Italian legal system.

Prerequisites and basic notions

No specific prerequisites are required.

However, students are expected to have a basic knowledge of private law, civil procedure and European Union law. The concepts necessary to understand the main topics of private international law and international civil procedure will in any event be recalled during the course.

Program

I. Subject matter, function and specific features of private international law and international civil procedure
Origin, evolution and function of the subject.
The notion of transnational legal relationships and foreign elements.
Distinction between private international law in the strict sense, concerning the applicable law, and international civil procedure, concerning jurisdiction, coordination of proceedings and circulation of judgments.
Legal sources: European Union law, international conventions, Law No. 218/1995 and other domestic sources.
Harmonisation of private international law and international civil procedure at international and European level.
II. Fundamentals of international civil procedure
Specific attention will be devoted to Law No. 218/1995 and Regulation (EU) No. 1215/2012 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters, commonly known as Brussels I bis.
Determination of jurisdiction in transnational disputes.
General and special heads of jurisdiction.
Prorogation and derogation of jurisdiction; choice-of-court agreements.
Special jurisdiction in contractual and non-contractual matters.
Protective rules for insured persons, consumers and employees.
Exclusive jurisdiction.
Coordination of parallel proceedings pending in different States: lis pendens and related actions.
Circulation of judgments: requirements for the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments.
III. Conflict of laws and methods of coordination between legal systems
Structure and operation of conflict-of-law rules.
Connecting factors and their different types.
Characterisation, preliminary questions and renvoi.
Ascertainment and interpretation of foreign law.
International public policy and overriding mandatory provisions.
Overview of EU regulations on applicable law and of the specific features of EU private international law.
Regulation (EC) No. 593/2008 on the law applicable to contractual obligations, commonly known as Rome I.
Regulation (EC) No. 864/2007 on the law applicable to non-contractual obligations, commonly known as Rome II.
Brief analysis of the relationship between conflict-of-law rules and uniform substantive law, with particular reference to the 1980 Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods.
Practical applications concerning international contracts, including international sales and commercial distribution agreements.

Bibliography

Didactic methods

The course will be delivered through lectures, guided discussion and analysis of practical cases.
Each class will include a lecture-based part, aimed at presenting the fundamental notions, categories and concepts of private international law and international civil procedure, also with the support of slides, and a part devoted to the application of the legal rules examined during the course to practical cases, judicial decisions and concrete legal problems.
The teaching method is designed to enable students not only to acquire the essential theoretical knowledge, but also to apply it to the solution of transnational legal issues, properly distinguishing between jurisdiction, applicable law, coordination of proceedings, and recognition or enforcement of judgments.
In order to encourage active participation in class, attending students may be required to read in advance the legal materials, judicial decisions or cases that will be discussed during the lessons. Legal materials, relevant decisions and further readings will be made available through the e-learning platform.
Attendance is not compulsory, but is strongly recommended, in light of the case-based and interactive teaching method adopted in the course.
Language of the course
The course will be taught in Italian.
Teaching delivery method
Classes will be held in person, in compliance with the University guidelines. Video recordings will be made available only upon request to students in specific situations of vulnerability related to disabilities or learning disorders, in accordance with the applicable University provisions.

Learning assessment procedures

Attending students
Attending students will take an oral exam. The interview, lasting approximately 15-20 minutes, will cover the topics, legal concepts and cases discussed during the course.
The exam is aimed at assessing students’ knowledge of the fundamental principles of private international law and international civil procedure, as well as their ability to apply them to concrete transnational cases, properly distinguishing between jurisdiction, applicable law, coordination of proceedings, and recognition or enforcement of judgments.
Non-attending students
Non-attending students will take an oral exam. The interview, lasting approximately 15-20 minutes, will be aimed at assessing their knowledge of the exam programme and of the fundamental principles of the subject, on the basis of the textbooks and materials indicated for non-attending students.
For non-attending students too, the exam may include questions aimed at assessing their ability to apply the relevant rules to practical transnational cases or situations.
Attending Erasmus students
Attending Erasmus students may take the oral exam in one of the following languages: Italian, English or Spanish. The interview may start from one of the cases discussed in class, chosen by the student, and may then extend to the related legal concepts and topics.
Mid-term tests
No mid-term tests are scheduled.

Evaluation criteria

The final grade is expressed on a 30-point scale.
The oral exam is aimed at assessing:
knowledge of the fundamental principles of private international law and international civil procedure;
the ability to properly distinguish between private international law in the strict sense, concerning the applicable law, and international civil procedure, concerning jurisdiction, coordination of proceedings, and recognition and enforcement of judgments;
the ability to identify the relevant legal sources and to coordinate them correctly, taking into account the relationship between European Union law, international conventions and Law No. 218/1995;
the ability to apply the relevant rules to concrete transnational cases;
the ability to argue in a clear, structured, critical and legally accurate manner;
the accurate use of legal terminology.
For the purpose of determining the final grade, the following elements will be assessed: completeness and accuracy of knowledge, ability to make systematic connections between legal concepts, ability to apply the rules in practice, and clarity of presentation.
The exam is passed with a minimum grade of 18/30. Honours may be awarded in the case of an outstanding performance showing full command of the subject, independent judgment, terminological accuracy and the ability to apply the relevant legal concepts to complex cases.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

The final grade is expressed on a 30-point scale and corresponds to the overall assessment of the oral exam.
No mid-term tests or additional written or practical tests are scheduled and no separate assessment components contribute independently to the final grade.
The final grade will take into account the overall quality of the answers provided by the student, assessed in light of the criteria set out in the assessment criteria section.

Exam language

Italiano

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