Department of Constitutional and Legal History

Head of Department: Dr. Attila Horváth, professor

The Department of Constitutional and Legal History is the only department of the Ludovika-University of Public Service that researches and teaches Hungarian and universal constitutional and legal history, and the history of public administration at bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level.

Constitutional and legal history is the science to analyse the different legal institutions in their historical aspect. This science is responsible for the research of the general legal changes and their tendencies. It helps the better understanding of law by the research of the development of legal institutions. The content of the law is different from time to time and it is different according to the history of state, therefore the research based on comparative approach is necessary in order to find out the effect of one legal system on the other.

The most important mission of the Department of Constitutional and Legal History is to familiarize students (the future public servants of state and public administration) with the achievements of the historical constitution and strengthen their national identity, show the steps of the development towards the modern state. As law is the result of a historical progress, it has roots in the past, and influences the present as well. To the completeness of legal knowledge and the understanding of legal institutions being familiar with legal history is of immense importance. Furthermore, constitutional and legal history – as part of cultural history – is responsible for presenting obsolete legal institutions that do not exist nowadays (e.g. witchcraft trials, ordeals, torture, serfs, privileges, law of the firstborn, etc.) but making an organic part of our historical past. The legal culture of Hungary and any other countries is incomplete without these legal institutions and the real knowledge of law can be complete only by learning about these institutions.

The Department of Constitutional and Legal History takes part in the education primarily by offering obligatory courses, such as Hungarian Constitutional and Public Administration History, Hungarian Constitutional, Public Administration and Legal History, Modern-age Public Administration History, European Constitutional History, Universal Constitutional History. Besides, the Department offers many elective courses on various topics opening the door for students to deepen their knowledge.

The professors and researchers of the Department of Constitutional and Legal History research many different legal institutions in various eras and countries. Researches in the discipline of constitutional and legal history is conducted in two directions: the analysis of ideas, content and development of legal acts and how these legislative acts have influenced society, judicial practice, public administration, politics and morality as well. The latter gives a real answer to the effectiveness of legislation.

Besides research, the Department operates a successful student research society as well.

Contact:

Office: H-1083 Budapest, Üllői út 82., Educational Centre, Office 432.
Phone: +36 1 432 9000 / 20205
E-mail: Horvath_Attila@uni-nke.hu