General Theory of Administrative Law

General knowledge of Introduction to the Study of Law and Constitutional Law is required.

Classes will be taught through the exposure of theoretical content and its practical application. The teaching and learning methodologies aim the integrated development of students in the referred knowledges in the programmatic content´s and the achievement of the established goals and competences. The use of a continuous assessment system implies an active participation of students in terms of study and oral intervention on the subjects taught. The teacher/student and student/student dialectic are emphasized, creating bi-directional communication synergies aimed at reflection and discussion.

The subjects taught in this curricular unit aim to provide students with the basic mental frameworks, at the level of concepts, principles and normative legal solutions which should be considered more relevant for the understanding of the Portuguese legal system underlying the legal-administrative relationship, in a legal, doctrinal and jurisprudential perspective.

Skills to be acquired:

– Understand the meaning of Public Administration and its historical evolution

– Understand the framework of powers separation and material separation of the State functions

– Know the administrative organization and the constitutional model of Public Administration

– Understand the principle of juridicity and apply it in practice

– Understand the juridic activity of Administration

– To know the regime of access to Administration documents

1st PART – PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW

CHAPTER I – PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
1. introduction
1.1 Concept and essential characteristics of Public Administration
1.1.1. meanings of the expression “Public Administration”
1.1.1.1. An organic perspective
1.1.1.2. a functional perspective
1.1.1.3. a material perspective
1.1.1.4. a formal perspective
1.2 Notion of Administrative Law

CHAPTER II – HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
1. Historical evolution of Public Administration
1.1. Medieval period
1.2 Transition to the Modern Age
1.3. The Police State
1.4 Transition to the Liberal Age
1.5. The Liberal Age (Liberal Rule of Law)
1.6. The transition to the 20th century and the Social Rule of Law 1.7.
1.7. Current Administrative Law

CHAPTER III – THE PRINCIPLE OF POWERS SEPARATION
1. The principle of powers separation
1.1 The political meaning
1.2 The organizational meaning
1.3 The functional and material meaning

CHAPTER IV – SEPARATION OF STATE FUNCTIONS
1. The material separation of the State functions
1.1 Types of functions
a) Legislative function
b) Administrative function
c) jurisdictional function
d) Political function
2. Material Criteria for Distinction

2nd PART – ORGANIZATION OF THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

CHAPTER I – THE ORGANIC STRUCTURE OF THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
1. The public legal persons
a) Bodies, holders and agents (special relevance for workers in public functions)
b) Duties, powers and legitimacy
2. Public Services

CHAPTER II – SECTORS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
1. State administrations
2. Autonomous administrations
3. Independent administration
4. Other sectors of the present administrative organization
5. Administrative organization in the transformation’s framework of the current Public Administration
6. The problems of the administrative apparatus limits
7. Systems of administrative organization

CHAPTER III – TYPES OF FUNCTIONAL INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Hierarchy
2. Superintendence
3. Guardianship
4. Delegation of Powers

CHAPTER IV – THE CONSTITUTIONAL MODEL
1. The principle of de-bureaucratization
2. The principle of bringing services closer to the people
3. The principles of administration
4. The principles of Administration effectiveness and unity of action
5. The principle of subsidiarity
6. The principle of participation
7. The principle of complementarity and collaboration

3rd PART – THE ADMINISTRATION ACTIVITY

CHAPTER I – THE ADMINISTRATIVE ACT
1. Concept and functions
2. New forms of administrative acts
3. Classification of administrative acts
4. Validity and effectiveness of administrative acts
5. The legal force of administrative acts
6. Structure and vices of the administrative act

CHAPTER II – ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION
1. Concept
2. Classifications
3. Basis and limits of regulatory power
4. Hierarchy and application of regulations

CHAPTER III- THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE
1. Concept and scope
2. Adjective conception of administrative procedure
3. Main characterizing notes
4. Importance of the CPA in the administrative procedure
5. Stages of the administrative procedure

CHAPTER IV – THE RIGHT OF ACCESS TO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION DOCUMENTS
1. The constitutional principle of open archive (CRP, Article 268, 2).
2. The right to procedural information and the right to non-procedural information
3. The non-procedural right to information:
(a) principle of open administration;
b) object and scope of application;
c) definitions of administrative and nominative documents.
4. The right of access
5. Restrictions to the right of access
6. Exercise of the right of access
7. Reuse of documents.

CHAPTER VI – THE ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACT – Public Contract and Administrative Contract – Notions and Regime (Public Contracts Code)

NAO

Required bibliography:

Andrade, José Carlos Vieira de. Lições de Direito Administrativo, Novembro 2020, 6.ª edição,  Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra.

Dias, José Eduardo Figueiredo/Oliveira, Fernanda Paula. Noções Fundamentais de Direito Administrativo, 2017, 5.º Edição (reimpressão 2023) Coimbra: Almedina

Additional bibliography:

Almeida, Mário Aroso (2020). Teoria Geral de Direito Administrativo (5.ª ed.). Coimbra: Almedina

Amaral, Freitas (2007). Última Lição Coimbra: Almedina

Andrade, José Carlos Vieira, Interesse Público, in DJAP, vol. V, p. 275 e ss

Caupers, João (2013). Introdução ao Estudo do Direito Administrativo. Lisboa: Âncora Editora

Prata, Sérgio (2018). A (nova) Lei do Acesso e da Reutilização dos Documentos Administrativos. Almedina

Silva, Artur Flamínio (2021). Direito Administrativo e Tecnologia. Coimbra: Almedina

Soares, Rogério, Princípio da legalidade e Administração Constitutiva, in BFDC, vol. LVII, 1991, p. 169 e ss
Mapa IX – Auditoria de Gestão / Management Audit

Sousa, Marcelo Rebelo/MATOS, André Salgado (2008). Direito Administrativo Geral, Tomo I. Lisboa: Dom
Quixote

Sousa, Marcelo Rebelo/MATOS, André Salgado (2009). Direito Administrativo Geral, Tomo III. Lisboa: Dom
Quixote