Constitutional Law is a branch of public law. It consists of the rules and principles that establish a political community’s important public institutions, conferring powers on those institutions, defining the relationship among those institutions, and providing mechanisms for resolving disputes between them. Constitutions also define the relationship between public institutions and citizens and establish the basic rights of citizens. This course deals with the main constitutional principles and institutions in Hong Kong. Throughout the course students will be expected to evaluate and discuss the part played by the Basic Law in fostering the rule of law, accommodating political, economic and social change, and mediating Hong Kong’s 150-year common law heritage with its new status as a Special Administrative Region of the PRC enjoying ‘a high degree of autonomy.’ Students will be introduced to the methods and techniques of public law developing their writing, analytical and discussion skills. Topics covered include: introduction to the study of constitutional law; Hong Kong’s constitutional development before and after 1997; the Sino-British Joint Declaration; the Basic Law (structure, content, interpretation, and amendment); branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial); law-making; judicial review; fundamental rights and freedoms; and the relationship between the Basic Law and the PRC Constitution. Students will be encouraged to reflect upon the meaning of the rule of law, the role of law in the relationship between State and citizen, and the boundaries between different branches of the State.