The Civilian Tradition
and Scots Law
Aberdeen Quincentenary Essays
Edited by
David L. Carey Miller
Reinhard Zimmermann
Duncker & Humblot • Berlin
Table of Contents
Introduction
A Scottish Celebration of the European Legal Tradition
By David L. Carey Miller
19
I. Introduction
19
II. Where the Civilian Tradition Stands
1. Cultural Identity 22 2. Terminology, Labels and Maxims 24 3. Foundation Influence 26 4. Substantial Reception 33
III. The Dynamic of Scots Law
21
45
IV. Conclusion
49
The Foundation of Law Teaching at the University of Aberdeen
53
By Hector L MacQueen
I- The Elphinstonian Foundation
II. Law Teaching in King's College 1514 - ca. 1700
III. The Background to Law Teaching in Aberdeen
IV. The Civil Law Tradition in Medieval Scotland
53
60
63
69
Looking Back: The Influence of Roman Law
and Roman Legal Thinking in Europe
The Medieval Rediscovery of the Roman Civil Law
75
By Peter G. Stein
7
I- Introduction
n. Roman Law in the Early Middle Ages
77
HI. The Recovery of the Digest
1 • The Discovery of the Digest 77
^
76
2. The Teaching of the Digest 79
IV. The Law School Becomes a University
80
V. The Effect of the Glossators on Roman Law
1 • The Structure of Teaching at Bologna 82 2. Explaining the Texts 83
VI. Post-Glossatorial Developments
1 • The Influence of Bologna 85 2. The Commentators 85
82
8
10
Table of Contents
The General Influence of Roman Institutions of State and Public Law
By David Johnston
87
I. Introduction
II. Ius publicum
1. Classical Roman Law 88 2. The Later Development of ius publicum 89
3. Summary 90
III. Institutional and Constitutional Questions
1. Sovereignty and the Power of the Emperor 91 2. General Theories of imperium and iurisdictio in Classical Roman law 92 (a) Imperium 92 (b) Iurisdictio 93 (c) Conclusions 94 3. The Later Development of Public Law
Concepts - Use of the Roman Texts and Terms 95 4. Bartolus 97 5. Jean
Bodin 99
IV. Conclusions
87
88
91
100
The Development of European Private Law: A Romanist Watershed?
By Robert Feenstra
I. Introduction
II. The bonafide Buyer of Moveable Property
1. Early Germanic Law 107 2. The Later Middle Ages 107
III. The European Science of Private Law
1. Starting Points of the European Science of Private Law 111
tersheds 112 (a) Legal Humanism 113 (b) Natural Law 114
IV. Conclusions
103
103
106
111
2. Other Wa115
The Canon Law Vehicle of Civilian Influence with Particular Reference to Scotland
By J. J. Robertson
117
I. Introduction
117
II. The Scottish Dimension
III. Canonical Procedure in Scotland
118
118
IV. Scotland and the Sacra Romana Rota
V. Conclusion
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
121
125
126
129
A Comparison of the Influence of Roman Law in England and Scotland
By William M. Gordon
I. Introduction
II. Roman Law
1. Roman Law and Civil Law 136 2. The Civilian Tradition 137
III. Scotland
1. Early Scots Law 139 2. The Institutional Period 140 3. The Effect of
the Union with England 140 4. The European Union 142
135
135
136
J39
Table of Contents
11
IV. England
J42
1. English Law in Splendid Isolation? 142 2. The Use of Civil Law in England 143 3. Legal Education and Interest in Civilian Ideas 144
V. Conclusion
247
The Resilience of the Scottish Common Law
By W. D. H. Sellar
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
149
The Emergence of a Scottish Common Law
149
The Symbolism of the Crown
151
Scottish Common Law and English Common Law
153
Scottish Common Law and Celtic Customary Law
156
The Influence of Canon Law and Civil Law
157
Sir John Skene's Views on the Scottish Common Law
159
Thomas Craig and His Views on the Scottish Common Law
160
1. Scottish Common Law and English Common Law 160 2. Feudal Law
and Civil Law 161 3. The Hierarchy of Sources 162
Taking Stock: The Significance of the Civilian Tradition
in England, Scotland, and Continental Europe
More Logic and Less Experience: The Difference between Scots Law and English Law
By Peter B. H. Birks
I. Instability and Indifference to Classification
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
The Scottish Institutional Tradition
Listsof Actions
The Roman Response
The English Response
The English Overview Tradition
VII. Seven Foundations
VIII. Reviving Knowledge of the Roman Institutional Scheme
16
7
167
171
175
179
180
181
185
188
The Civil Law Tradition in Scottish Legal Thought
By John W. Cairns
I. Introduction
II- The MiddleAgesto the 16th Century
III- The 17th Century
1. Sir Thomas Craig 200 2. Viscount Stair 204 3. Sir George Mackenzie 207
191
]9 ]
196
200
212
IV. The 18th Century
1. John Spotswood 212 2. John Cuninghame 213 3. Alexander Bayne 214
4. William Forbes 217 5. Lord Bankton 217 6. John Erskine 218
V Conclusion: From Practical to Educational Value
220
12
Table of Contents
The Use of the Civil Law in Scottish Courts
By Alan Rodger
225
I. Introduction
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
225
The 19th Century
Individual Contributions
Civilian Aspects of Scots Law
The South African Way
Civilian Texts and the Courts' Decisions
Brocards and Maxims
Classical Roman Law
226
227
230
232
233
234
236
Placing the Civilian Influence in Scotland: A Roman-Dutch Perspective
By Daniel Visser
239
I. Through Panes of Slightly Irregulär Glass, Or: Can the Civil Law Influence in
Scotland and South Africa Be Compared?
II. The Structure of Scots and South African Law
1. Institutional Writings as a Source of Law 241 2. Content-Based Reasons 244 (a) The Morgan Guaranty Case 245 (b) The Willis Faber Case 247
3. Content-Independent Reasons - South Africa 248 4. Content-Independent
Reasons - Scotland 252 5. Summary 252
III. The Effect of the Structure of the Law on its Development
1. Mixed Legal' Systems 253 2. The Effect of the Complex Component
Structure - South Africa 254 3. The Effect of the Complex Component
Structure - Scotland 255
IV. And What About the Future?
239
241
253
256
The Civil Law in European Codes
By Reinhard Zimmermann
259
I. The European Codes: Background and Significance
259
II. Civil Law and the Civilian Tradition
262
1. The Meaning of Civil Law 262 2. Characteristic Features of the Civil
Law 263 3. Civil Law and Civil Code 264
III. Roman Roots I: Common Origins
267
IV. Roman Roots II: Two Sets of Rules
1. Duties and Liabilityofa Seiler 268
Impossibility of Performance 270
268
2. Breach of Contract 269
3. Initial
V. Roman Roots III: Interpreting the Sources
271
1. Vicarious Liability 272 2. Transfer of Ownership and Payment of Purchase Price 273
VI. Roman Roots IV: Different Layers of Tradition
1. The Abstract and the Causal System 274 2. The Consensual System 275
VII. Roman Roots V: More Ambiguity
1. Mora Creditoris 276 2. Set-off 277
274
276
Tableof Contents
13
VIII. The Process of Generalization
278
1. The Evolution of the Law of Delict 279 2. The Evolution of the Law of
Contract 281 3. The Evolution of the Law of Unjustified Enrichment 282
IX. The Ambivalence of Generalization
283
1. Specific Performance 284 2. Contracts in Favourof Third Parties 284
X. Intellectual Unity Beyond Codification
285
1. Roman Law, Natural Law and Pandectist Legal Science 285 2. Factors
Counterbalancing the Nationalistic Isolation 287
XI. New Legal Rules
XII. Main Features of a European Law of Obligations
289
290
Civilian Elements in European Civil Procedure
By Jemen M.J.Chorus
295
I. Common Historical Roots
295
II. Recent Steps Towards Harmonization
296
1. Harmonization of Procedural Law within the European Union 296 2. Civilian and Common Law Procedure 297
III. Civilian Stock in European Civil Procedure
300
1. Characteristics of Civilian Procedure 300 2. Draft Rules of the Storme
Working Group 303
305
IV. Conclusion
The Future: The Civilian Tradition in European Community Law
The Role and Relevance of the Civil Law Tradition in the Work of the European Court
of Justice
By David A. O. Edward
I. Introduction
II. Why the Civil Law isNot an Influence
III. The Brüssels Convention on Jurisdiction and the Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments
IV. The Real Civilian Influence
1. System and Coherence 316 2. Obligations, Rights and Remedies 318
V. Conclusion
309
309
3
'°
315
32
°
The Influence of the Civil Law, via Modem Legal Systems, on European Community
Law
By John A. Usher
I. Introduction
II. A Law for Citizens?
III. Style and NatureofE.C. Law
321
322
325
14
Tableof Contents
IV Property Rights
1. Possession and Ownership 327
327
2. Extent and Restrictions 328
V. Contract and Delict
1. Contractual Liability 332
2. Non-Contractual (Delictual?) Liability 334
3. Fault 336
VI. National Influence on E.C. Legislation
1. General 338 2. Companies 339
VII. Judicial Process and Organization
1. Court Structures and Remedies 344 2. Precedent 346 3. General Principles - Legal Professional Privilege 347
VIII. Conclusions
332
338
344
350
The Development of Civil Law Principles at the National and Community Level:
Achieving a Balance
By Lord Mackenzie-Stuart
I. Introduction
II. Civil Law and Public Law
III. The Problems as Seen in 1973
1. Civilian and Common Law Systems 353 2. Dissenting Opinions 355
3. The Advocate General 357 4. Rights of Audience 358 5. Precedent 359
6. Judicial Style 360
IV. Administrative Law
1. Recent Developments in England 360 2. The European Sources of Administrative Law 361 3. European Principles and the English Courts 362
V. Conclusion
351
351
352
353
360
364
Table of Cases
367
Index
371
List of Contributors
393