62154001 Law and Politics I

Hiroshima University Syllabus

Japanese

Academic Year 2026Year School/Graduate School Liberal Arts Education Program

Lecture Code 62154001 Subject Classification Area Courses

Subject Name Law and Politics I

Subject Name
（Katakana）

Subject Name in
English Law and Politics I

Instructor MOUSOURAKIS GEORGE

Instructor
(Katakana) ムスラキス　ジョージ

Campus Higashi-Hiroshima Semester/Term 1st-Year, First Semester, 2Term

Days, Periods, and Classrooms (2T) Fri5-8：IAS K204

Lesson Style Lecture Lesson Style
(More Details) Face-to-face

The course will be delivered through a combination of formal lectures and guided class discussions. Weekly study guides will be provided for each lecture to support students’ understanding of the material covered. In addition, the instructor will make use of video materials and PowerPoint presentations to enhance student engagement and facilitate the learning process.

Credits 2.0 Class Hours/Week 4 Language of Instruction E : English

Course Level 1 : Undergraduate Introductory

Course Area（Area） 24 : Social Sciences

Course Area（Discipline） 01 : Law

Eligible Students All students

Keywords Law, legal systems, legal traditions, politics

Special Subject for Teacher Education 　 Special Subject 　

Class Status within
Liberal Arts Education Area Courses（Courses in Arts and Humanities/Social Sciences)　Category：Law / Political Sciences / Sociology / Economics / Education
Expected Outcome 1. To be able to explain the formation and development processes and contemporary issues of each academic discipline.
2. To be able to explain historical and contemporary issues that span multiple academic disciplines from multifaceted perspectives.

Class Objectives
/Class Outline This course provides an introduction to the fundamental principles of law and legal systems. It aims to develop an understanding of the nature and functions of law, as well as the relationship between law and politics, while familiarizing students with key legal concepts, institutions, and processes across major fields of law, including constitutional law, criminal law, private law, and international law. The course situates law within its broader social, political, economic, historical, and cultural contexts. In doing so, it not only equips students with foundational knowledge of legal institutions but also encourages the development of a critical perspective on how those institutions operate and shape society.

Class Schedule lesson1: Foundations of law: law as a normative system of rules; legal institutions and the administration of justice; the aims, functions, and social purposes of law; law and morality; law, power, and politics.
lesson2: Forms of law and legal systems: domestic (municipal) legal systems; international law; transnational legal regimes; customary law; religious legal systems.
lesson3: Theoretical and contextual perspectives on law: philosophy of law (jurisprudence); legal history; sociology of law; comparative law; law and political science.
lesson 4: Legal traditions and legal cultures; classification of legal systems into legal families; major legal traditions of the world; the Western legal tradition and its defining characteristics.
lesson5: The Roman and civil law tradition: Ancient Roman law and its legal institutions; the European reception of Roman law; codification and the emergence of modern civil law systems; core characteristics of civil law systems; worldwide influence of the civil law tradition.
lesson6: The English common law tradition; origins and historical development of the common law; defining characteristics of common law systems; the global dissemination and influence of the common law tradition.
lesson7: The influence of Western legal traditions in Asia, Africa, and other regions of the world; processes and theories of legal transplantation; the emergence of hybrid and mixed legal systems; legal pluralism in post-colonial states.
lesson8: The Japanese legal system: the historical and political foundations of Japanese law; the reception and adaptation of Chinese and Western legal traditions; the influence of civil law and common law models on Japanese legal development; the interaction between domestic legal culture and external legal norms.
lesson9: Divisions of law; public and private law; domestic and international law;
substantive law and procedural law; rights and remedies; sources of law; legislation and statutory interpretation; case law and the doctrine of judicial precedent; international treaties as sources of law; customary international law and general principles of law; scholarly writings and literary sources of law.
lesson10: Fundamental legal concepts: rights and duties; legal powers and responsibilities; liability and sanctions; remedies for legal wrongs; natural persons and legal persons; basic legal capacity; jurisdiction and the reach of law.
lesson11: Constitutional law: systems of government and types of constitutions; democracy and the rule of law; the doctrine of separation of powers; checks and balances between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary; the role of courts and judicial review; protection of basic rights and freedoms; electoral systems and political representation.
lesson12: Criminal Law: basic concepts and purposes of criminal law; the criminalization of conduct; main types of criminal offence and their key features; the criminal justice system and its institutions; punishment and sentencing and their underlying aims; the role of police and prosecution in criminal proceedings; basic forms of criminal trial and decision-making.
lesson13: Introduction to civil law; sources of civil law; law of persons and legal personality; law of property and ownership; law of obligations; contract law and contractual relationships; tort law and civil liability.
lesson14: Public international law and the international legal order;
sources of international law: treaties, customary international law, general principles of law; the relationship between international law and domestic legal systems; the interaction between international law and international politics: power, sovereignty, and the role of international institutions.
lesson15: In-class examination and presentation of research undertaken by students.

Text/Reference
Books,etc. There is no prescribed textbook for this course. Reading materials will be provided throughout the semester. Reference books and other supplementary sources will be included in the handouts distributed to students.

PC or AV used in
Class,etc. Handouts, Visual Materials, Microsoft Teams

(More Details)

Learning techniques to be incorporated Discussions, Project Learning, Post-class Report

Suggestions on
Preparation and
Review The instructor expects students to have completed the prescribed readings by the end of the course. Students are encouraged to read more widely if they develop a particular interest in a topic or if they find the material challenging and wish to begin with a more introductory treatment.

Requirements

Grading Method Assessment for this course will be based on class participation, a written research report, an in-class research presentation, and an in-class test. The assessment components are weighted as follows:
• Class participation: 20%
• Written research report: 30%
• Research presentation (in class): 20%
• In-class test: 30%

Practical Experience

Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it

Message

Other

Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes.
Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

Academic Year	2026Year	School/Graduate School	Liberal Arts Education Program
Lecture Code	62154001	Subject Classification	Area Courses
Subject Name	Law and Politics I
Subject Name （Katakana）
Subject Name in English	Law and Politics I
Instructor	MOUSOURAKIS GEORGE
Instructor (Katakana)	ムスラキス　ジョージ
Campus	Higashi-Hiroshima	Semester/Term	1st-Year, First Semester, 2Term
Days, Periods, and Classrooms	(2T) Fri5-8：IAS K204
Lesson Style	Lecture	Lesson Style (More Details)	Face-to-face
The course will be delivered through a combination of formal lectures and guided class discussions. Weekly study guides will be provided for each lecture to support students’ understanding of the material covered. In addition, the instructor will make use of video materials and PowerPoint presentations to enhance student engagement and facilitate the learning process.
Credits	2.0	Class Hours/Week	4	Language of Instruction	E : English
Course Level	1 : Undergraduate Introductory
Course Area（Area）	24 : Social Sciences
Course Area（Discipline）	01 : Law
Eligible Students	All students
Keywords	Law, legal systems, legal traditions, politics
Special Subject for Teacher Education		Special Subject
Class Status within Liberal Arts Education	Area Courses（Courses in Arts and Humanities/Social Sciences)　Category：Law / Political Sciences / Sociology / Economics / Education
Expected Outcome	1. To be able to explain the formation and development processes and contemporary issues of each academic discipline. 2. To be able to explain historical and contemporary issues that span multiple academic disciplines from multifaceted perspectives.
Class Objectives /Class Outline	This course provides an introduction to the fundamental principles of law and legal systems. It aims to develop an understanding of the nature and functions of law, as well as the relationship between law and politics, while familiarizing students with key legal concepts, institutions, and processes across major fields of law, including constitutional law, criminal law, private law, and international law. The course situates law within its broader social, political, economic, historical, and cultural contexts. In doing so, it not only equips students with foundational knowledge of legal institutions but also encourages the development of a critical perspective on how those institutions operate and shape society.
Class Schedule	lesson1: Foundations of law: law as a normative system of rules; legal institutions and the administration of justice; the aims, functions, and social purposes of law; law and morality; law, power, and politics. lesson2: Forms of law and legal systems: domestic (municipal) legal systems; international law; transnational legal regimes; customary law; religious legal systems. lesson3: Theoretical and contextual perspectives on law: philosophy of law (jurisprudence); legal history; sociology of law; comparative law; law and political science. lesson 4: Legal traditions and legal cultures; classification of legal systems into legal families; major legal traditions of the world; the Western legal tradition and its defining characteristics. lesson5: The Roman and civil law tradition: Ancient Roman law and its legal institutions; the European reception of Roman law; codification and the emergence of modern civil law systems; core characteristics of civil law systems; worldwide influence of the civil law tradition. lesson6: The English common law tradition; origins and historical development of the common law; defining characteristics of common law systems; the global dissemination and influence of the common law tradition. lesson7: The influence of Western legal traditions in Asia, Africa, and other regions of the world; processes and theories of legal transplantation; the emergence of hybrid and mixed legal systems; legal pluralism in post-colonial states. lesson8: The Japanese legal system: the historical and political foundations of Japanese law; the reception and adaptation of Chinese and Western legal traditions; the influence of civil law and common law models on Japanese legal development; the interaction between domestic legal culture and external legal norms. lesson9: Divisions of law; public and private law; domestic and international law; substantive law and procedural law; rights and remedies; sources of law; legislation and statutory interpretation; case law and the doctrine of judicial precedent; international treaties as sources of law; customary international law and general principles of law; scholarly writings and literary sources of law. lesson10: Fundamental legal concepts: rights and duties; legal powers and responsibilities; liability and sanctions; remedies for legal wrongs; natural persons and legal persons; basic legal capacity; jurisdiction and the reach of law. lesson11: Constitutional law: systems of government and types of constitutions; democracy and the rule of law; the doctrine of separation of powers; checks and balances between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary; the role of courts and judicial review; protection of basic rights and freedoms; electoral systems and political representation. lesson12: Criminal Law: basic concepts and purposes of criminal law; the criminalization of conduct; main types of criminal offence and their key features; the criminal justice system and its institutions; punishment and sentencing and their underlying aims; the role of police and prosecution in criminal proceedings; basic forms of criminal trial and decision-making. lesson13: Introduction to civil law; sources of civil law; law of persons and legal personality; law of property and ownership; law of obligations; contract law and contractual relationships; tort law and civil liability. lesson14: Public international law and the international legal order; sources of international law: treaties, customary international law, general principles of law; the relationship between international law and domestic legal systems; the interaction between international law and international politics: power, sovereignty, and the role of international institutions. lesson15: In-class examination and presentation of research undertaken by students.
Text/Reference Books,etc.	There is no prescribed textbook for this course. Reading materials will be provided throughout the semester. Reference books and other supplementary sources will be included in the handouts distributed to students.
PC or AV used in Class,etc.	Handouts, Visual Materials, Microsoft Teams
(More Details)
Learning techniques to be incorporated	Discussions, Project Learning, Post-class Report
Suggestions on Preparation and Review	The instructor expects students to have completed the prescribed readings by the end of the course. Students are encouraged to read more widely if they develop a particular interest in a topic or if they find the material challenging and wish to begin with a more introductory treatment.
Requirements
Grading Method	Assessment for this course will be based on class participation, a written research report, an in-class research presentation, and an in-class test. The assessment components are weighted as follows: • Class participation: 20% • Written research report: 30% • Research presentation (in class): 20% • In-class test: 30%
Practical Experience
Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it
Message
Other
Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes. Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

Back to syllabus main page