Scots law meets its relatives

Scots delegation shares latest ideas at Sri Lanka conference

News, 22 December 2004

A team of Scots academics is travelling to Sri Lanka on 2 January to update legal professionals from similar systems on the latest developments in Scots law.

The group, from the universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh, will spend 10 days in the country delivering a range of presentations in various fields, including property law, human rights, and dispute resolution.

The Colombo conference will also welcome legal academics from Tulane University in Louisiana, USA, and the Max Planck Institute of Private Law in Hamburg, Germany.

One important justification for next month’s trip, according to the team, is the fact that Scots law and Sri Lankan law are very similar. The law in some North American states, such as Louisiana, Florida and California, also shares many similarities with these systems.

The Scottish contingent will take with them a selection of legal textbooks, donated by firms in Scotland.

Professor Roderick Paisley, Professor of Commercial Property Law at Aberdeen University, said: “I have been astonished by the support from some of Scotland’s biggest legal firms who have donated a series of the most up-to-date law books for this trip - most of which cost upwards of £200. I am very grateful to these companies for their generosity.

“The books will be extremely useful for the Sri Lankan lawyers as they are very interested in the Scots legal system. This trip will unite three of the world’s legal systems and enable us to compare our work and experience over the years.”