Foundations of Italian Public Law

This book is aimed at presenting in English the main aspects of the Italian Public Law to domestic and international audience. This demands a new approach, departing from the traditional perspective of the Italian legal doctrine. For that reason, it proposes a journey through the Italian legal system, along two main dimensions: comparative dialogue and historical perspective. First of all, although the focus of the book is on Italian law, the comparative perspective is pervasive. Using the English language to present Italian and rules implies a continuous comparison. Italy is considered not “the” case-study, but rather “a” case-study. It is an example of a broader legal family, which corresponds to that of post-World War II liberal-democracies. Secondly, an historical perspective is also necessary, so as to frame existing Italian law within the many events and regimes of Italy’s recent history. The book is organised in two parts. The first part deals with the State and its evolutionary patterns, including rights and freedom. The second part is dedicated to the form of government, including the sources of law.