UCLan Cyprus is set to welcome one of the world’s foremost legal historians to the island. Professor Boudewijn Sirks, Regius Professor of Civil Law at Oxford University and Fellow of All Souls will be delivering a keynote lecture on Tuesday 11th December entitled: “Roman Law and its Byzantine Renaissances”.
A Dutch legal academic, Professor Sirks is an expert in Roman law and in Byzantine law in particular. The position of Regius Professor of Civil Law is one of the oldest professorships at the University of Oxford, dating back to the 1540s. Those who have held the position previously include such famous names as the 16thcentury Italian jurist Alberico Gentili and, during the 17th century, the English jurist Richard Zouch, one of the earliest writers on international law. Roman law is the historical root for the civil law system which dominates the continent of Europe (including Greece). Study of both Private and Public International law is not complete without a thorough grounding in Roman law. A surprisingly large amount of Roman legal literature has survived thanks to the vigilance of Justinian and other later Byzantine emperors, and it will be on this theme that Professor Sirks will be delivering his keynote lecture.
His Beatitude, Archbishop of New Ioustiniana and All Cyprus, Chrysostomos II, will deliver the address welcoming Professor Sirks to the island.
Dr. Tim Potier, Head of the Law School at UCLan Cyprus said: “We are delighted to be receiving a legal academic of Professor Sirks’ distinction. Having devoted his academic career to advancing scholarship on the legal development in antiquity of the eastern Mediterranean, I am thrilled to be able to welcome Professor Sirks to what will be his first visit to Cyprus”.
The event will be the first in the ‘Law and Society’ Lecture Series. Dr. Potier noted: “These lectures reflect UCLan Cyprus’ commitment to bringing world-leading research to the region. The School of Law will be organizing a series of keynote lectures bringing the world’s finest legal scholars to Cyprus”.
The event will commence at 6.30pm on 11th December at UCLan Cyprus’ multi-million Euro and state-of-the-art campus in Pyla (near Larnaka). The event will be preceded, from 6pm, by a cocktail reception. Additional information can be obtained from Dr. Stella Alekou at [email protected] or by phoning 24694001/2.
