The course Public and Private Justice, taught in the English language, is interdisciplinary in nature. It not only deals extensively with the legal aspects of civil litigation, but also touches upon other disciplines such as history, political science, philosophy and sociology. The main aim of the course is to analyse the role and functioning of the law and its institutions as mechanisms for the regulation of social conflicts in present-day Europe. The course also covers topics that have an impact on a global scale. The emphasis of the course lies in the real day-to-day functioning of those mechanisms in the light of the applicable normative framework. The course focuses on the resolution of civil disputes, both in general and in specific areas (e.g. commercial and family litigation). Equal attention is given to mechanisms established and controlled by the state (i.e. courts and other institutions of public justice) and mechanisms that are established and controlled by civil society actors (persons and tribunals in the field of private justice, including arbitration and mediation).