The Civilian Tradition and Scots Law

On 10 February 1995 the University of Aberdeen celebrated its quincentenary. On that day in 1495 Pope Alexander VI had issued to Bishop William Elphinstone the founding Bull giving authority for the teaching of theology, Canon and civil law, medicine and the liberal arts. In the case of law, it was decided to mark the quincentenary by holding a symposium which would reflect upon the character and influence of the civilian tradition with special emphasis on Scotland. Scholars from Scotland, England, the Netherlands and Germany were asked to deliver papers on various aspects within the general theme: to identifying the impact of Roman law, Canon law and the subsequent ius commune across Europe, taking stock of the significance of the civilian tradition thus established in the modern national legal systems and assessing its relevance within the law of the European Union. These papers are published in the present volume. They offer a wide range of stimulating insights into the growth and the present state of the European legal tradition.