Environmental law

Duration

24h Th

Number of credits

Lecturer

Michel Delnoy

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

This course will be offered in the 2023-2024 academic year.

Environmental law is a young discipline which is rapidly developing. It is no longer possible to ignore the practical repercussions of this domain. It affects a wide range of actors, from companies and public bodies themselves down to individual citizens and it covers a wide range of subjects. By means of illustration, take recent European legislation on, among other things, energy performance of buildings, cleaning polluted land, environmental offences, environmental sanctions and environmental responsibility.

The youth and rapid development of the field makes it difficult to learn about for a lawyer wanting to embark on a career in this field, whether as a lawyer, judge, company lawyer, civil servant, environmental advisor, member of an environmental group, etc. The aim of this course is to present a structural overview of the subject.

After having defined the contours of environmental law, the course will initially retrace the subject's historical roots and present the elements which differentiate it from other fields of law. We will particularly look at concepts such as "common heritage", "sustainable development", "integration", "participation", "precaution" etc.

This introduction will be followed by three large sections:
- the actors in environmental law: international, European, Belgian and Walloon bodies, associations, individuals etc. ;
- the instruments of environmental law: permits, plans, regulations, principles, sanctions, access to information, participation, education, access to justice, etc. ;
- the fields of action of environmental law: protection of flora and fauna, protection of the air and climate, fight against noise, classified establishments, cleaning polluted land etc.

Although the course is as far as possible constantly updated to take account of the numerous legislative and regulatory modifications that constantly change the face of this legal field, it will mainly cover the principles and general and common rules, which remain constant.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

The course does not aim to transmit an encyclopaedic knowledge of environmental law, indeed it would be impossible to do so. It aims to outline the basic elements of the subject, the way of thinking and the reflexes required, as well as the databases available, so that students can subsequently carry out independent legal research and find the answers to the questions that may be put to them in the course of their professional practice.

At the end of the course, students should be able to reconstruct and explain the basic principles which govern environmental law, apply these principles to practical cases and find the rules which have not been taught but which enable students to answer questions which have not been covered in class.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Following this course requires a Bachelor Diploma in Law.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

See hereafter : (teaching method).

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Most of the course will be taught in the form of lectures. Numerous concrete examples are provided, based on the lecturer's own experience, as well as essential case law references. The lecturer regularly questions the students to ensure they have understood the subject, and the students are invited to submit their questions to the lecturer either during or outside the lecture (see below). Computer databases are used systematically. Students are advised on which texts to read and they will be asked to analyse documents. Their results will be examined in class during a later session.
Every year, the organisation of the course depends on how many students enrol: studies of administrative documents, the examination and oral presentation by every student of a specific question instead of an exam, solving fictitious problems in a team, etc., are envisaged according to the number of students. Students are asked to choose what form the course will take during the first lesson.

Recommended or required readings

A detailed outline for each lesson, one will be published on line the day of the lesson concerned or a little later.
Reference works, recommended readings and a targeted bibliography, in both paper and electronic forms, will also be offered students.

The exam will certainly cover the ability to reproduce information and answers to questions which will demonstrate the ability to apply this knowledge to practical situations. The ability to understand the questions is obviously indispensable, as is the ability to reflect upon different parts of the course and (sometimes hierarchical) relationships between them - and to structure ideas in a logical way and present them correctly.
The exam, written, has the exam takes place to closed book, without any document.
Electronic devices (mobile phones, MP3s, PDAs, cameras, smartphones, calculators, etc.) are strictly prohibited in the examination. Any student found with such a device, even turned off, may not take the examination and will be given a grade of 0/20 for the test in progress. Also prohibited are course notes or any other document or data carriers of any kind.
 

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

The course is held every odd year (2017-2018, 2019-2020,...). It takes place during the first term on Thursday from 13h30 to 15h30.

Contacts

Students are personally invited to ask any questions relating to the course. Questions and requests for appointments relating to the organisation and logistics of the course can be submitted to the lecturer via a student representative.

The lecturer is available in between classes, after class or at any other time by appointment.

Mme Hélène Bouchat can be contacted by email: helene.bouchat@explane.be, regarding organisational questions and requests for an appointment. Substantive matters can be submitted to the assistant, Céline Petitjean - Celine.Petitjean@uliege.be - 04/366.46.36.

Association of one or more MOOCs

Items online