The Legal Dimension (s) of Corporate Social Responsibility
ECTS : 3
Volume horaire : 18
Description du contenu de l'enseignement :
The aim of this course is twofold:
- to provide an insight into current international, European and national interdisciplinary research and thinking on CSR and the law;
- to develop research and critical skills through assignments on a broad range of current issues and developments in the regulation of CSR.
This course is on Moodle.
1 CSR's definitional gap
2 Defining sustainability: the UN's Sustainable Development Goals
3 Sustainable Finance EU style: Sustainable Finance Action Plan : The Taxonomy regulation, the CSRD, The SFDR
4 Beyond transparency: the regulation of corporate due diligence: The Ruggie Framework, The UNGP and their national applications, the case of the French duty of vigilance
5 Corporations and Transnational environmental litigation: the Vedanta, Dooh v Shell and Total cases
6 EXAM
Compétence à acquérir :
Students taking this course will gain specific knowledge regarding both the legal regulation of CSR and the influence of CSR on the law. The focus will not be confined to French law but explore issues raised in international law, EU law and common law jurisdictions. Students will be expected to read and research broadly to build their own perspective on complex issues.
Mode de contrôle des connaissances :
- 50% coursework: oral presentation, written test, participation, homework.
- 50% final written exam.
The numerical grade distribution will dictate the final grade. The passing grade for a course is 10/20.
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. Students are expected to attend all classes, arrive on time, and stay for the entire session. Repeated absences or lateness may affect the final grade.
Class Participation
Active participation is encouraged, as it contributes to making classes more engaging and instructive. Students are expected to come prepared and contribute thoughtfully to discussions. When participation is part of the course assessment, it is evaluated based on the quality of contributions rather than their quantity.
Exam Policy
Students are not allowed to bring any materials into exams, except those explicitly authorized by the instructor. Unexcused absences from exams or failure to submit assigned cases will result in a grade of zero when calculating final averages. All exams must be submitted at the end of the examination period.
Communication and Grading
All questions or concerns regarding grading or course policies must follow the official procedures. No direct negotiation with instructors about grades or assessments is permitted.
Be aware of the rules in Université Paris Dauphine about plagiarism and cheating during exams. All work turned in for this course must be your own work, or that of your own group. Working as part of a group implies that you are an active participant and fully contributed to the output produced by that group.
Bibliographie, lectures recommandées :
- Baars, Grietje, Spicer Andre, The Corporation: A Critical, Multi-Disciplinary Handbook Cambridge University Press, 24 mars 2017;
- Beckers, A, Enforcing Corporate Social Responsibility Codes On Global Self-Regulation and National Private Law First Edition Hart Publishing, Oxford 2016;
- Crane, Andrew, The Oxford Handbook Of Corporate Social Responsibility (Oxford Handbooks in Business and Management), Sep 2009, Oxford University Press;
- Gond, Jean Pascal, Igalens, Jacques, La Responsabilité Sociale de L'Entreprise,7 ème édition, 2023, Que sais-je, PUF;
- Kerr, Janda, Pitts, Corporate Social Responsibility - A Legal Analysis, 2009, LexisNexis Canada;
- Lyon, Thomas P., Maxwell John W., "Corporate Social Responsibility and the Environment: A Theoretical Perspective", 2007, Journal of Environmental Law;
- Mc Barnet, Doreen (ed), The New Corporate Accountability : Corporate Social Responsibility and the Law, Cambridge University Press, 2009;
- Christine Parker "Meta-Regulation: Legal Accountability for Corporate Social Responsibility?", The New Corporate Accountability: Corporate Social Responsibility and the Law, Cambridge University Press, 2007;
- Rühmkorf, Andreas, Corporate Social Responsibility, Private Law and Global Supply Chains, Corporations, Globalisation and the Law series, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2015;
- Sikka, Prem, "Smoke and mirrors: Corporate social responsibility and tax avoidance", 2010, Working Paper, University of Essex.
Coralie Raffenne holds an LL.M in International and European law and a Ph.D. in law (University of Warwick-UK). She has been teaching European Law and Corporate Social Responsibility at Dauphine for the past ten years. Her research interests include the CSR and the law, the corporate anthropocene and feminist economics.