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授業紹介:The Court and the Constitution in the United States 51

   秋葉 丈志
(AKIBA, Takeshi)

  • Title:Associate Professor
  • Research Field:Public law, Constitutional Law, Legal theory and history, Sociology of Law
  • Cluster : Governance, Peace, Human Rights and International Relations
女性の妊娠中絶、同性婚、大学入試における人種や性別の考慮、銃規制。アメリカの政治と社会を二分するような議論を生んできたテーマです。その過程で憲法と裁判所が大きな役割を担うのがアメリカの特徴です。そこで注目されてきたのは一人一人の裁判官、特に合衆国最高裁判所の9人の判事です。この授業は、裁判官の価値観や憲法の解釈がいかにアメリカを動かしてきたか、憲法と司法のリアリティを学ぶことを目標にしています。私は初級科目としてアメリカ憲法の基礎を学ぶ授業を開講しています。Courts and Constitution in the United Statesはその発展科目として、「司法」にじっくりフォーカスします。参加者同士で対話を深め、このテーマの「おもしろさ」を感じてもらうよう務めています。対立する思いや見解を自由に出し合えるような雰囲気が醍醐味と思います。こんなテーマで真剣に議論できるなんて!この授業を受講することで、なぜアメリカでは最高裁判事の任命のたび議論が起きるのか、深く理解できると思います。
   

 

– The approaches used by judges to interpret the constitution in a modern context and the theory around it were the most interesting for me. – 

The course “The Court and the Constitution in the United States”, taught by Professor Takeshi Akiba, is one of the most detailed and intriguing courses dedicated to familiarizing students with the judicial process in the United States of America. The lecture goes beyond the limits of basic assignments or textbooks, enabling students to better conceptualize and apply the learnings in real-life situations for better understanding. The course is highly discussion based and involves a lot of critical thinking on the student’s end to explore out-of-the-box solutions to complex legal issues in contemporary US society. The engagements with Professor Akiba make the lessons all the more enjoyable and informative.  

 The course covers various topics, ranging from a rudimentary and historical understanding of the judiciary in the US to very complicated cases that have impacted the US constitution and its interpretation today. The approaches used by judges to interpret the constitution in a modern context and the theory around it were the most interesting for me. This allows students to draw comparisons between politics and judicial systems in two or more countries to outline similarities and differences in framing policies and laws. Learning about US courts and domestic politics in the context of the judiciary immensely helps future public policy aspirants better understand the possible influence of domestic policies on US foreign policy. 

 This course equips students with the capability to explore possible pragmatic solutions to complex issues in the United States. Initially, I wanted to learn about the judicial system of the United Systems and understand the US constitution in depth.  However, as the course progressed, there were so many more aspects of the US judiciary that I was able to learn. This course allowed me to utilize my knowledge and experiences from other courses on political philosophy, gender, etc. This unique capability has motivated me to go beyond the usual limits of a course, and I have been able to apply the knowledge I have acquired in various other situations.  

 The face to face delivery method of this course further allows for a more elaborate and free exchange of thoughts. The assignment and quizzes allow you to express your opinions and understanding of specific topics while stimulating the scholarly discourse among students. I firmly believe that there is a lot to learn from your peers, and the international environment cultivated at SILS allows for excellent opportunities to interact with students from different countries and backgrounds to look for collective solutions for issues we face today. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in US politics, judiciary, and current issues in the US; this course would immensely boost one’s understanding of essential topics of contention in the US society while engaging with your peers to look for pragmatic solutions. The fundamental idea and learnings from this course can be easily applied to real-life situations and allow students to think critically about issues they might face in the future. That is the meaning of empowerment through education and an opportunity for students like myself to recognize their true potential. 

This article is written by…

 

バンザル ディパンカー
(BANSAL, Dipankar)

  • 4年
  • 出身校:Neerja Modi School (India)
  • Study Plan:2
     

※この記事は2023年3月時点のものです。
※この科目は毎学期開講されない場合があります。

 

 

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