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Challenges in Legal Education and the Development of a New European Private Law

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2019

Bram Akkermans

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These are exciting times for European private law. After many years of research the publication of the Draft Common Frame of Reference in the form of the interim outline edition of 2008 and, in particular, of the Outline Edition in 2009, is set to change the landscape of legal education in private law. Although many universities are likely to continue a traditional curriculum based on national law, possibly with comparative influences, for some universities this will be an occasion to move from a comparative to more truly European curriculum. The change to a European-based curriculum is controversial in legal education as the need to train nationally qualified lawyers remains. However, there are some experiences with the setting up of a European-based curriculum that might demonstrate a possibility of how to do this.

Type
Section 1: ‘Same Ol’, Same Ol'?' Reflecting on Curricular Reform
Information
German Law Journal , Volume 10 , Issue 6-7: Following the Call of the Wild: The Promises and Perils of Transnationalizing Legal Education , July 2009 , pp. 803 - 814
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 by German Law Journal GbR 

References

1 Principles, Definitions and Model Rules of European Private Law. Draft Common Frame of Reference, Interim Outline Edition. (Christian von Bar et al. eds., 2008); Principles, Definitions and Model Rules of European Private Law. Draft Common Frame of Reference, Outline Edition. (Christian von Bar et al. eds., 2009).,Google Scholar

2 See, on this, Sjoerd Claessens, Free Movement of Lawyers in the European Union (2008).Google Scholar

3 The author was a member of the Curriculum Committee setting up a new English language bachelor programme (LL.B.) named the Euroepan Law School – English Track, at Maastricht University. Of course, many other transnational law degree programmes exist.Google Scholar

4 The Maastricht European Law School – English Track (ELS-ET) seems to be a unique programme in the non-English speaking world. Other programmes include, inter alia, the Hanse Law School programme between the universities of Groningen (Netherlands), Bremen (Germany) and Oldenburg (Germany) and the Transnational Degree Programme at Utrecht University (Netherlands) and Washington University School of Law (USA). See, P. Zumbansen, Transnational Law, in Encyclopedia of Comparative Law, 748–750 (Jan M. Smits ed., 2006).Google Scholar

5 For an overview of the state of affairs in comparative private law, including methodology, see, The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Law (M. Reimann & R. Zimmermann eds., 2006).Google Scholar

6 See, for instance, Green Paper on Consumer Collective Redress COM(2008) 794 final, Consultation Paper on Consumer Collective Redress for the Hearing of 27 May 2009, Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/redress_cons/collective_redress_en.htm, Council Decision of 12 February 2007 establishing for the period 2007 to 2013, as part of the General Programme on Fundamental Rights and Justice, the Specific Programme ‘Criminal Justice', OJ 24.2.2007, L58/17, the Commission's Annual Work Programme 2009 on Criminal Justice of 28 September 2008, Of course, a full curriculum in this new style would also have to include other areas of law. This contribution merely seeks to explore some of the possibilities the developments in private law offer on legal education. Potentially, other areas of law could be inspired from these developments.Google Scholar

7 Early works include the famous René David, Traité Élémentaire de Droit Civil Comparé: Introduction à l'Étude de Droits Étrangers et à la Méthode Comparative (1950); see, also, Smits, J.M., A European Private Law as a Mixed Legal System. Towards as lus Commune throught the free movement of legal rules, 5 Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law 328, 328–329 (1998).Google Scholar

8 The exceptions are, of course, the law of England and Wales, the law of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These common law or, in case of Scotland, mixed legal systems, are generally uncodified legal systems. However, the characterisation that these systems have an isolated view and focus on their national tradition just as much applies. See, C. Donahue, Comparative Law before the Code Napoléon, in The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Law, 3 (M. Reimann & R. Zimmermann eds., 2006).Google Scholar

9 Zimmermann, Reinhard, The Law of Obligations. Roman Foundations of the Civilian Tradition (1996), H. Patrick Glenn, Legal Families and Legal Traditions, in The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Law, 421 (M. Reimann & R. Zimmermann eds., 2006). See also, James Gordley, Foundations of Private Law. Property, Tort, Contract, Unjust Enrichment (2006); James Gordley and Arthur Taylor Von Mehren, An Introduction to the Comparative Study of Private Law. Readings, Cases, Materials (2006).Google Scholar

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12 See, , for example, J.M. Smits, Supra (note 7), 328–329.Google Scholar

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14 See, for example, the work on legal transplants, Graziadei, M., Comparative Law as the Study of Transplants and Receptions, in: The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Law, 441, 442–444 (M. Reimann & R. Zimmermann eds., 2006).Google Scholar

15 N. Janssen and R. Zimmermann, Restating the Acquis Communautaire? A Critical Examination of the “Principles of Existing EC Contract Law, 71 Modern Law Review 505 (2008). Although also the use of the DCFR as a teaching tool has been criticised, see J.M. Smits, The Draft Common Frame of Reference, Methodological Nationalism and the Way Forward, in: 16 European Review of Private Law 278 (2008).Google Scholar

16 The study group itself also emphasizes the use of its document as a teaching tool. See Christian von Bar et al. (2009), Supra (note 1), 7.Google Scholar

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18 On the Acquis Principles (ACQP) and the drafting process see C. Twigg-Flesner, The Acquis Principles: an insider's critical reflections on the drafting process, in:. Theory and Practice of Harmonisation, (C. Baasch Andersen, M. Andeneas eds, forthcomming), available at at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1342713.Google Scholar

19 For a rejection of this idea see, inter alia, J.H.M. Van Erp, European and National Property Law: Osmosis or Growing Antagonism? (2006), Vincent Sagaert, De Verworvenheden Van Het Europese Goederenrecht, in De Invloed Van Het Europese Recht Op Het Nederlandse Privaatrecht, 301 (A.S. Hartkamp, C.H. Sieburgh, and L.A.D. Keus eds., 2007), Bram Akkermans, The Principle of Numerus Clausus in European Property Law, 475 (2008).Google Scholar

20 See Case C-69/88 H. Krantz GmbH & Co v Ontvanger der Directe Belastingen en de Staat der Nederlanden [1990] ECR I-583, Case C-302/97 Klaus Konle v Republik Österreich [1999] ECJ I-3099, Joined Cases C-515/99, C-519/99 to C-524/99 and C-526/99 to C-540/99 Hans Reisch and others v Bürgermeister des Landeshauptstadt Salzburg and others [2002] ECR I-2157, and Case C-370/05 Criminal Proceedings against Uwe Kay Festersen [2007] ECR I-1129.Google Scholar

21 Case C-302/97 Klaus Konle v Republik Österreich [1999] ECJ I-3099, Joined Cases C-515/99, C-519/99 to C-524/99 and C-526/99 to C-540/99 Hans Reisch and others v Bürgermeister des Landeshauptstadt Salzburg and others [2002] ECR I-2157, and Case C-370/05 Criminal Proceedings against Uwe Kay Festersen [2007] ECR I-1129.Google Scholar

22 See, for more on this, Bram Akkermans, Supra (note 19), 195.Google Scholar

23 OLG Munchen 4 September 2003, NJW-RR 2004, 164.Google Scholar

24 Case 8/74 Procureur du Roi v Dassonville [1974] ECR 837, Para 5.Google Scholar

25 See, in this respect, the Opinion of AG Geelhoed in Case C-515/99 Reisch [2002] ECR I-2157.Google Scholar

26 See, for instance, Case 448/98 Criminal Proceedings against Jean-Pierre Guimont [2000] ECR I-10663, para 22–23, and Case C-515/99 Reisch [2002] ECR I-2157.Google Scholar

27 The term osmosis is frequently used by Sjef van Erp in his work on European Private Law. See J.H.M. Van Erp, De Osmose Van Nederlands En Europees Goederenrecht, 10, 94 Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Burgerlijk Recht, 533 (2004), J.H.M. van Erp, European and National Property Law, Supra (note 20); and J.H.M. van Erp, Huidig en toekomstig Europees zekerhedenrecht, pre-advies aan de Koninklijke Notariële Beroepsorganisatie, (forthcoming).Google Scholar

28 J.H.M. van Erp, Huidig en toekomstig Europees zekerhedenrecht, Supra (note 27).Google Scholar

29 Moreover, it should take into account other international organisations such as the United Nations, The Council of Europe, the World Trade Organisation etc.Google Scholar

30 Dannemann, Gerhard, Supra (note 13).Google Scholar

31 See Legrand, P., Against a European Civil Code., Supra (note 11); Towards a European Civil Code, 3rd revised and expanded edition, (A. Hartkamp et al. eds., 2004).Google Scholar

32 See, for example, the video's posted online by MEP Diana Wallis. Diana Wallis, On European Contract Law, Available at: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1699851/diana_wallis_on_european_contract_law/.Google Scholar

33 This would seem to be in line with the European Commission's plans for the development of a European Research Area (ERA). See Green Paper The European Research Area: New Perspectives COM, 161 (2007).Google Scholar

34 See, Mark C. Taylor, End the University as we know it, NY Times, (27 April 2009), Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/opinion/27taylor.html Google Scholar