This book is an important contribution to the current lively debate about the relationship between law and society in the Roman world. This debate, which was initiated by the work of John Crook in the 1960's, has had a profound impact upon the study of law and history and has created sharply divided opinions on the extent to which law may be said to be a product of the society that created it. This work is a modest attempt to provide a balanced assessment of the various points of view. The chapters within this book have been specifically arranged to represent the debate. It contains an introductory chapter by Alan Watson, whose views on the relationship between law and society have caused some controversy. In the remaining chapters a distinguished international group of scholars address this debate by focusing on studies of law and empire, codes and codification, death and economics, commerce and procedure. This book does not purport to provide a complete survey of Roman private law in light of Roman society. Its primary aim is to address specific areas of the law with a view to contributing to the larger debate.
About the AuthorJohn W. Cairns is a legal historian and graduate of the University of Edinburgh (LLB PhD). His research interests cluster around law and the Enlightenment, the history of Scots law, codification in Louisiana, and law and slavery. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) and Professor of Legal History in the University of Edinburgh. Paul J du Plessis is a legal historian who holds a PhD (Law) from the Erasmus University, Rotterdam. His research interests include Roman law, medieval interpretations of Roman law, the historical development of the civilian tradition in mixed jurisdictions, the relationship between law and history as well as between law and society in a historical context. Secondary research interests include the development of European Private Law, Comparative Law and International Private Law..
Book InformationISBN 9780748627936
Author John W. CairnsFormat Hardback
Page Count 208
Imprint Edinburgh University PressPublisher Edinburgh University Press
Weight(grams) 526g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 24mm