The Centre for Legal History provides
a lively social and scholarly focus for the active research community –
faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and postgraduate students -
in legal history, including Civil (Roman) law, in the School of Law. The
University has a long tradition in the field, as the Chair of Civil Law
was founded in 1710, with Civil Law taught continuously in the
University since then. The Centre has a reputation for success in
postgraduate study. Major interests pursued are Roman law, the learned
laws in the Middle Ages, the history of law in Europe, the history of
Scots law, and legal history in Louisiana. The interests of the Centre
avoid a narrow focus on law as rules, and research is typically
comparative and interdisciplinary, drawing on a wide range of sources.
The location of the Centre in one of the world’s leading research
universities, with access to excellent resources and research
collections not only in the University but also in the city of
Edinburgh, make it an ideal location for legal historical research.