Courses for law students

Civil law 1-6

Civil law is perhaps the most extensive subject in the law curriculum, which students will study over six semesters following the 2017 curriculum changes. This is followed by the Corporate and Commercial Law module, which, however, falls under the portfolio of the Department of Commercial and Agricultural Law. Civil Law 1-4 includes not only lectures, but also seminar sessions. The material of the following semesters is the material for the final examination in Civil Law (supplemented by Corporate Law). The Civil Law subjects are studied by law students in semesters 3-7 according to the following scheme.

Civil Law 1 (Semester 3): covers the principles and concepts of civil law, general doctrines of the structure of civil relationships and personal law. The latter covers the rules of legal capacity and protection of personality, as well as the general rules of legal persons. The material is primarily based on Books 1 and 2 of the Hungarian Civil Code (Ptk.) and, to a lesser extent, Book 3.

Civil Law 2 (Semester 4). In this semester students will study books 5 and 7, i.e. the rules of law of property (tenure, property, limited rights in rem) and inheritance law.

Civil law 3 (5th semester): this semester is devoted to the general part of the law of obligations and to the law of liability. Here students will learn about the Civil Code, the general principles of civil law and the law of obligations. This is the first part of the Civil Code, Book 6, which covers the general rules of obligations, the general rules of contracts and the various forms of liability for damages.

Civil Law 4 (semester 6): in the previous curriculum, this semester covered the types of contracts specified in the Civil Code, which belong to the special part of the law of obligations, and the law of intellectual property. However, in view of the fact that the new Civil Code's contract law is much more extensive than the previous one and the University's profile also gives greater emphasis to intellectual property issues, students enrolled after 2017 will study a separate module on the different types of contracts and intellectual property law, the latter being called Civil Law 6.

Civil Law 5 (7th semester). Previously taught under the title Family Law, the subject now forms part of the Civil Law V curriculum, following the structural changes introduced by the new Civil Code, which incorporated the rules on family law into Book Four of the Code. Within the framework of this course, it is of particular importance not only to convey legal norms, but also to impart values of humanity and the general moral principles associated with family life. This is especially vital, as the most profound private life crises often unfold within the domain of family law.

Civil Law 6 (Semester 7): a new subject from the 2017 curriculum, covering two areas of intellectual property law, copyright and industrial property. In the latter, students will be introduced to patent law, trademark law and various design rights.

Civil procedural law 1-2

Since the autumn semester of the 2017 academic year, students have been studying the new Act CXXX of 2016 on the Code of Civil Procedure, which entered into force on 1 January 2018. Civil procedural law introduces law students to the structure and functioning of civil litigation, presenting the judicial pathway for the enforcement of private law claims. The course also addresses issues that are closely related to civil procedure but regulated outside the scope of the Code itself (e.g., conditions for legal aid, exemptions or reductions in court fees, etc.). The rules of civil procedural law and civil substantive law are closely interrelated, since if a dispute arises between the parties in respect of a legal relationship governed by civil substantive law, the courts are competent to settle the dispute accordingt to the procedure provided for in the Code. Civil Procedural Law is a basic examination in our Faculty, whereby students take the Civil Procedural Law 2 exam not only from the given semester's material, but also from the material that precedes it. For this reason, civil procedural law is classically one of the most difficult exams in a lawyer's training, and thus requires serious preparation.

Law of civil non-litigious procedures

Within the framework of non-contentious civil procedures, the course addresses those civil proceedings that are regulated by special statutes. With certain exceptions (such as probate proceedings), these matters also fall under the jurisdiction of the courts. However, they do not qualify as contentious proceedings, as they lack some of the key characteristics of litigation—for example, the holding of a hearing may not be required, and certain fundamental procedural principles, such as orality, may not apply.

In the context of this course, students acquire knowledge of the specific procedural rules governing, inter alia, company registration proceedings, probate proceedings, enforcement procedures, and insolvency proceedings (including bankruptcy and liquidation). This subject is taught in the 9th semester.

Facultative and modul courses

Contract types in practice (facultative)

Comparative legal analysis of defective performance (facultative)

Mediation in practice - alternative conflict resolution (facultative)

The legal profession in practice (facultative)

General rules of contract law in practice (facultative)

Personal and property relations between spouses and life partners (facultative)

Media law and infocommunications law (module)

Film law (module)

Sports law (module)

Software law (module)

Legal aspects of tobacco trade and consumption (module)

Civil law in notarial practice (module)

Comparative legal analysis of contractual liability (module)

Invalidity of contract (module)

Consumer protection law (module)

Civil rights and fundamental constitutional rights (module)

Child protection in practice (module)

Protection of personality in practice (module)

Corporate governance (module)

European and Hungarian consumer protection law (ERASMUS)

Subjects Taught by Our Department in Undergraduate Administrative Programmes

Within the curriculum structures of the Judicial Administration and the Human Resources, Labour and Social Administration Bachelor's programmes, substantial emphasis is placed on both substantive and procedural private law. In terms of contact hours, students receive instruction comparable to that provided in the undivided law programme (although these courses do not include seminars). However, the volume of legal provisions and textbook material that must be mastered in detail is smaller, and both the format and difficulty level of assessment are adjusted to the structure and objectives of the respective programmes.

Civil Law 1–6

Students enrolled in the Judicial Administration programme study six semesters of civil law, the last of which falls under the academic portfolio of the Department of Commercial and Agricultural Law. Students in the Human Resources, Labour and Social Administration programme study the curriculum of the first three semesters. Up to that point, lectures and examinations are shared between the two programmes. These courses do not include accompanying seminar sessions.

It is important to note that, beginning with the implementation of the new curriculum in 2017, the civil law courses were renamed and renumbered. Students are therefore advised to exercise caution during course registration to ensure that they enroll in the correct courses according to their own curriculum requirements. Until all student cohorts enrolled under the former curriculum have graduated, both numbering systems will operate in parallel. The following table illustrates the changes in course titles:

Civil Law Modules

Civil Law 1 (1st semester):
The content corresponds to that of Civil Law 1 in the law programme, with the exception that the first two lectures are devoted to the history of European and Hungarian private law. These provide students with a comprehensive overview of the development of private law up to the present day.

Civil Law 2 (2nd semester):
The course content corresponds to Civil Law 2 in the law programme.

Civil Law 3 (3rd semester):
The course content corresponds to Civil Law 3 in the law programme.

Civil Law 4 (3rd semester):
This course partially corresponds to Civil Law 5 in the law programme.

Civil Law 5 (4th semester):
In this course, students are introduced to the legal framework of consumer protection law, including questions of institutional, procedural, and substantive law.

Civil Law 6 (5th semester):
This course covers the company law regulations set out in Book Three of the Civil Code. It is taught by members of the Department of Commercial, and Agricultural Law.

Law of Contentious and Non-Contentious Civil Procedures

In the 3rd semester, students enrolled in the Judicial Administration programme are introduced to the fundamental characteristics of both contentious and non-contentious civil procedures.

Clerical Procedure Courses

Taking into account the objectives and outcome requirements of the Judicial Administration programme, students in the 5th semester study the fundamentals of judicial administration through independent modules. These include the organisation, procedures, and administration of courts, notarial offices, enforcement bodies, and law firms.

Elective Courses

The following elective courses are available to students in both administrative specialisations:

• Legal aspects of tobacco trade and consumption

• Copyright Law

• Media Law and Infocommunications Law

• Film Law

• Sports Law

• Software Law

• Private Law in Notarial Practice

• Practical Protection of Personality Rights

• Civil Subjective Rights and Constitutional Fundamental Rights

Additional electives by programme:

• For students of the Human Resources, Labour and Social Administration programme:

  • Consumer Protection Law

• For students of the Judicial Administration programme:

  • The Personal and Property Relations of Spouses and Cohabitants

  • Child Protection in Practice

Courses Taught in the Legal Assistant Programme

Fundamentals of Civil Law

This course introduces students to the general structure and fundamental rules of civil law. Although the required material is significantly less extensive compared to the undivided law programme, students are nonetheless expected to possess precise knowledge of and to use professionally the basic concepts of the Civil Code.

Judicial Administration I–II

Over the course of two semesters, students acquire knowledge about the organisation of the judiciary and the internal administrative rules governing its operations.

Notarial and Legal Practice Administration

Within the framework of this course, students in the legal assistant programme become familiar with the everyday administrative functions and regulations relevant to two other legal professions: notaries and attorneys.

Fundamentals of Civil Procedural Law

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the general rules governing civil litigation and to provide a clear overview of the entire litigation process. The focus is placed on the key procedural institutions and the well-defined stages of litigation. Due to the nature of the programme, the objective is to achieve a comprehensive and insightful understanding rather than to master the numerous technical details.

Courses Offered in Other Faculties and Postgraduate Programmes

• Introduction to Civil Law (for postgraduate programmes in Economic and Financial Law and Nuclear Law)

• Industrial Property Law (for postgraduate legal engineers and MSc students in Computer Engineering)

• Copyright Law (for postgraduate engineers)

• Trademark Law (for postgraduate engineers)

• Civil Procedure (for postgraduate engineers)

• Insolvency Law (for postgraduate engineers)

• Law of Intellectual Creations (for postgraduate programmes in Economic and Financial Law)

• Intellectual Property Protection (in BA programmes in Architecture, Product Design, and Graphic Design)

• Innovation and Intellectual Property Management (in MA programmes in Architecture, Product Design, and Graphic Design)

• Bankruptcy and Liquidation Procedures (for postgraduate programmes in Economic and Financial Law)

• Family and Child Protection Law (in BA programmes in Social Work and Nursing and Patient Care)

• Social and Child Protection Law (in BA programme in Social Pedagogy)

• Fundamentals of Family Law (in BA programme in Social Pedagogy)