Comparative Law Discussion Group

About the Group

The Comparative Law Discussion Group meets two or three times a term, over a sandwich lunch, to hear a paper or a presentation of work in progress from a speaker, either from within the Faculty or from outside. While ‘comparative law’ for this purpose is quite broadly interpreted, the subject-matter of our discussions relate mostly to private law (including its procedural and institutional aspects) and to the laws of western Europe. The group is open to all members of Faculty and graduate law students and is organised by Alexandra Braun, John Cartwright, Stefan Vogenauer and Simon Whittaker under the auspices of the Institute of European and Comparative Law.

Convenor: Jenny Dix

Senior members: Alexandra Braun, John Cartwright, Stefan Vogenauer, Simon Whittaker

Previous Group Events

May 2013

Thursday 2 May 2013

Is Commercial Law Special? Past, Present and Future of Commercial Codes in Europe: Speaker: Dr Jan Schmidt, Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Hamburg
Oxford Law Faculty Seminar Room D (with lunch from 12.30 in the Foyer of the IECL) at 13:00

March 2013

Thursday 7 March

Why is London the preferred destination for libel tourism? Comparative observations on the law of defamation and forum shopping: Speaker: Dr Justyna Balcarczyk, University of Wroclaw
Oxford Law Faculty Seminar Room F (with lunch from 12.30 in the Foyer of the IECL) at 13:00

February 2013

Thursday 28 February

Assignment of Receivables under French Law : From the Napoleonic Code to the Global Financial Market: Speaker: Professor Philippe Stoffel-Munck, University of Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris I)
Oxford Law Faculty Seminar Room F (with lunch from 12.30 in the Foyer of the IECL) at 1300

Thursday 7 February

A history of the (US) Uniform Commercial Code: Speaker: Professor Peter Winship, Southern Methodist University
Oxford Law Faculty Seminar Room D (with lunch from 12.30 in the Foyer of the IECL) at 13:00

January 2013

Thursday 17 January

Constitutionalism, public policy and discriminatory testamentary bequests - a good fit between common law and civil law in South Africa's mixed jurisdictions?: Speaker: Professor Francois du Toit, University of the Western Cape
Oxford Law Faculty Seminar Room D (lunch from 12:30 - Foyer of IECL) at 13:00

November 2012

Thursday 22 November 2012

Regulatory Competition in Contract Law: Empirical Evidence and Normative Implications: Speaker: Giesela Rühl, Friedrich-Schiller University of Jena
Oxford Law Faculty Seminar Room F (with lunch in the IECL foyer from 12.30) at 13:00

Thursday 8 November

The Core of the Common European Sales Law (CESL) – Rights, Obligations and Remedies: Speaker: Morten Fogt, Aarhus University
Oxford Law Faculty Seminar Room F (with lunch available from 12.30 in the foyer of the IECL) at 13:00

October 2012

Thursday 18 October

“The continental drug”? Abuse of Rights in France and Germany: Speaker: Philipp Eichenhofer, Max-Planck Institute, Hamburg
Oxford Law Faculty Seminar Room F (with lunch available from 12.30 in the foyer of the IECL) at 13:00

May 2012

Friday 11 May

Property, trust (fiducie) & Islamic finance: Speaker: Dr François Barriere, Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris 2)
Oxford Law Faculty Seminar Room D (and IECL Foyer for lunch at 12.30) at 1300

February 2012

Wednesday 22 February

Contemporary art and classic law: a challenge: Speaker: Professor Gianmaria Ajani , University of Turin
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room D (with lunch from 12.30 in the Foyer of the IECL) at 1300

Thursday 16 February

Love and law - romantic relationships from a comparative perspective: Speaker: Professor Anne Roethel, Bucerius Law School, Hamburg
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room D (and IECL foyer for lunch from 12.30) at 1300

January 2012

Thursday 26 January

Unfair Prices in Salvage Contracts in English and French Law: Speaker: Ciara Kennefick, University of Oxford
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room D (with lunch from 12.30 in the Foyer of the IECL) at 1300

December 2011

Thursday 1 December 2011

The Concept of Ownership - How Functional is the Functional Approach?: Speaker: Professor Göran Millqvist, University of Stockholm
Institute of European and Comparative Law Law Board Room (with lunch at 12.30 in the foyer of the IECL) at 1300

November 2011

Thursday 3 November

Of Islands and the Ocean: the Two Rationalities of European Private Law: Speaker: Professor Ralf Michaels, Duke University
Institute of European and Comparative Law Law Board Room (and IECL foyer for lunch from 12.30) at 1300

October 2011

Thursday 20 October

Peter Birks and Comparative Law: Speaker: Professor Lionel Smith, McGill University
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room D (and IECL Foyer for lunch at 12.30) at 1300

May 2011

Wednesday 18 May

European Contract Law: the Draft of the Expert Group and the Common Frame of Reference: Speaker: Professor Hugh Beale, University of Warwick
Institute of European and Comparative Law Room 19 and IECL Foyer for lunch at 12.30 at 13:00

Tuesday 17 May

England, Equity and Statute: the Curious State of Australia's Contract Law: Speaker: Mr Justice Paul Finn, Federal Court of Australia
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room C (and IECL foyer for lunch from 12.30) at 13:00

March 2011

Thursday 3 March

The Fundamental Change of Circumstances Doctrines: Speaker: Professor Carlos Gómez Ligüerre, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room C (and IECL foyer for lunch from 12.30) at 13:00

February 2011

Thursday 10 February

Secured Transactions: Speaker: Professor Anna Veneziano
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room C (and IECL foyer for lunch from 12.30) at 12:30

January 2011

Thursday 27 January

Causation and damages in pre-contractual liability for breaking off negotiations: Speaker: Dr Giorgio Afferni, University of Genoa
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room C (and IECL foyer for lunch from 12.30) at 12:30

November 2010

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Responsible Lending: Speaker: Professor Yesim Atamer, Istanbul Bilgi University
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room C at 1230

October 2010

Thursday 21 October

Unjustified Enrichment and Comparative Law: Speaker: Professor Jacques du Plessis, Stellenbosch University
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room 19, St Cross Building at 1230

April 2010

Thursday 29 April

Legal Tourism: on Civil Codes and Constitutions beyond the State: Speaker: Professor Jan Smits, Tilburg University
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL (Lunch from 1215) and Seminar Room C (meeting at 1245) at 1215

March 2010

Thursday 4 March

Judicial Review of Penalty Clauses in Spanish Law: Convergence Towards Other European Laws?: Speaker: Ignacio Marin Garcia, Pompeu Fabra University Barcelona
Oxford Law Faculty Seminar Room C (and IECL foyer for lunch from 12.30) at 1300

February 2010

Thursday 18 February

Mandatory Rules in Contract Law - the Draft Directive on Consumer Rights: Speaker: Professor Gerhard Wagner, University of Bonn
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room C (and IECL foyer for lunch from 12.30) at 1300

Thursday 4 February

A Vision of Social Justice in French Private Law: Paternalism and Solidarity?: Speaker: Dr Ruth Sefton-Green, University of Paris I
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room C (and IECL foyer for lunch from 12.30) at 1300

January 2010

Wednesday 27 January

Legal Transplant of Undue Influence: Lost in Translation or a Working Misunderstanding?: Speaker: Mindy Chen-Wishart, University of Oxford
Institute of European and Comparative Law Room 5 (with lunch from 12.30 in the IECL foyer) at 1300

November 2009

Friday 20 November 2009

Breach of Contract and Liability to Third Parties in French Law: How to Break Deadlock?: Speaker: Professor Jean-Sébastien Borghetti, University of Paris II
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room C at 12:30

October 2009

Thursday 15 October

"Drawing a picture of the existing legal systems in all their beauty and diversity..."? Nature and purpose of the Draft Common Frame of Reference in European contract law: Speaker: Professor Reinhard Zimmermann, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Hamburg
Institute of European and Comparative Law Institute of European and Comparative Law at 11:45

May 2009

Thursday 21 May

Mapping the Law? Some Comparative Observations on the Taxonomy Debate: Speaker: Martin Flohr, Institute of European and Comparative Law
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL (Lunch) and Seminar Room C at 12:30

Thursday 7 May

Dividing Wrongs: the Civilian Experience: Speaker: Dr Eric Descheemaeker, University of Bristol
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL (Lunch) and Seminar Room C at 12:30

March 2009

Friday 13 March

Abusive Clauses: What Should Switzerland Look at in Order to be European Compatible?: Speaker: Professor Pascal Pichonnaz, University of Fribourg
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL and Seminar Room C at 12:30

February 2009

Thursday 12 February

Liquidated Damages in a Comparative Perspective Particularly in Swedish and English Law: Speaker: Professor Lars Gorton, Lund University and Stockholm School of Economics
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL and Seminar Room C at 12:30

January 2009

Thursday 29 January

Governmental and Non-Governmental Codifications: Speaker: Professor Nils Jansen, University of Muenster
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL and Seminar Room C at 12:30

November 2008

Thursday 27 November 2008

Full Compensation Principle in European Tort Law: Speaker: Dr Giorgio Pedrazzi, University of Brescia, Italy
Institute of European and Comparative Law Institute of European and Comparative Law (lunch) and Seminar Room C (meeting) at 12:30

Thursday 13 November

The Reform of the Japanese Civil Code: to what extent do the common law elements survive?: Speaker: Dr Omi Hatashin, Member of the Japanese Society of Comparative Law and a barrister of the Inner Temple
Institute of European and Comparative Law Institute of European and Comparative Law at 12:30

October 2008

Thursday 30 October

Development of Law and Legal Development: English and Spanish mechanisms linking tort and crime since 1850: Speaker: Matthew Dyson, Jesus College, Cambridge
Institute of European and Comparative Law Institute of European and Comparative Law (lunch) and Seminar Room C (meeting) at 12:30

February 2008

Monday 25 February

What is Scandinavian Law?: Speaker: Professor Ulf Bernitz, University of Stockholm and IECL
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL and Seminar Room C at 12:30

Friday 15 February

Networks of Contracts in European and German Law: Speaker: Professor Dr Dr Stefan Grundmann, Humboldt University, Berlin
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL and Seminar Room C at 12:30

November 2007

Tuesday 27 November 2007

Changed circumstances in legal principles, in legislation and in contracts: Speaker: Professor Lars Gorton, Professor of Private Law, Lund University and Stockholm School of Economics
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL and Seminar Room C at 12:30

June 2007

Tuesday 12 June

Title to be confirmed: Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL and Seminar Room C at 12:30

May 2007

Tuesday 8 May

The Proposal for a "Common Law Code" for Rwanda: Speaker: Professor Robert S. Summers, Cornell University
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL and Seminar Room C at 12:30

February 2007

Thursday 22 February

From Laesio Enormis to Unfair Advantage: a Shift in the Contractual Paradigm: Speaker: Professor Miguel Martin-Casals, University of Gerona
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL and Seminar Room C at 12:30

Thursday 8 February

The New Estonian Law of Obligations and the Influence of the Principles of European Contract: Speaker: Vadim Filimonov, St Edmund Hall
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL and Seminar Room C at 12:30

January 2007

Thursday 25 January

Should Reliance be Recognised as a Distinct Source of Liability in Italian Law?: Speaker: Professor Cristina Amato, University of Brescia
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL and Seminar Room C at 12:30

November 2006

Thursday 16 November 2006

Reform of the South African Law on Unfair Contract Terms - a Comparative Perspective: Speaker: Professor Tjakie Naude, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
Institute of European and Comparative Law Institute of European and Comparative Law and Seminar Room C at 13:00

Thursday 2 November

Consolidating EU Contract Law: an Introduction to the Work of the Acquis Group: Speaker: Professor Gerhard Dannemann, Centre for British Studies, Humboldt University, Berlin
Institute of European and Comparative Law Institute of European and Comparative Law and Seminar Room C at 13:00

October 2006

Thursday 26 October

Comparative Law and Legal Translation: Speaker: Dr Sieglinde Pommer, University of Vienna
Institute of European and Comparative Law Institute of European and Comparative Law and Seminar Room C at 13:00

May 2006

Thursday 4 May

French and English Legal Scholarship: Swings and Roundabouts: Speaker: Ruth Sefton-Green, University of Paris I (Pantheon-Sorbonne)
Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar Room C at 12:50

February 2006

Thursday 2 February

Fundamental Conceptions of the Basis of Civil Liability: Insights from the Draft Hungarian Civil Code: Speaker: Dr Péter Gárdos, Adviser of the Commissioner to the Minister of Justice on the Codification of the new Civil Code, Ministry of
Oxford Law Faculty Seminar Room C at 1300

November 2005

Tuesday 29 November 2005

Bringing the Pieces Together. Problems and Satisfaction in Group Work Harmonizing European Private Law: Speaker: Professor Bill Dufwa, Emeritus Professor, University of Stockholm
Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL and Law Board Room at 1250