Legal Studies

This course introduces students to the study of crime and its prevention. It begins by considering the challenges with how we define and measure crime, and the implications these have for interpreting key crime trends. Special attention is devoted to how crime patterns manifest in space and time, and how they can be analyzed. Next, the key sociological, psychological, and ecological theories relating to criminal behavior are critically examined. Lastly, the formal structures and machinery in place to respond to crime and security problems are outlined. This includes the role and functions of the police, courts, and corrections as the chief components of the criminal justice system, as well as the role of government in setting crime policy. Students are encouraged to critically assess the strength of different theoretical approaches throughout the course.

This course introduces a wide range of questions about offending behavior, crime, and its control, drawing on criminological theory and research. The course introduces the origins and development of thinking about crime, patterns of offending behavior, the problems of determining what we know about crime and the implications for how we should respond. In particular, the course encourages students to think independently and critically, and to apply theoretical ideas to real-world problems of crime and its control.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course focuses on basic knowledge of public law topics related to the digital evolution of our societies; how digital ICTs have challenged our legal systems; how government in different countries have provided means to facilitate, spread or even control the use of digital technologies; how they have managed the evolution of their own organization and actions, given their fundamental role in offering full access to knowledge. Special attention is also placed on the most recent rules approved for speeding up the affirmation of digital administration, and around specific topics of particular interest to course participants.

In this survey course, students critically assess a selection of fundamental legal issues in the field of Information Technology (IT) Law. Students are introduced to key debates in technology and internet governance: do we need distinct legal rules to regulate technological systems? Who does, and should, enact these rules? Are technological systems like the Internet neutral, and should they be? Once students are equipped with this knowledge of technology governance and the challenges this poses for the law, they go on to consider how the law has responded to the challenges brought about by technological systems and the extent to which legal issues have shaped the development of information society policy. The course does this by examining the key issues under three headings: data; digital platforms and current challenges.