The Roman state developed one of the earliest complex legal systems. They excelled especially in creating a formal judicial system and a detailed framework for civil law. The resulting system of law that emerged forms the basis of most European law, influenced many aspects of English Common Law, and, through the activities and involvement of these countries with other peoples and nations, Roman law eventually had a considerable impact on legal systems of non-Western countries as well. This course, therefore, is shaped to provide exposure to the major areas of Roman law. It begins with consideration of the constitutional law of Rome and how the legal system worked, then turns to consider the major categories of the law: the law of persons, the law of property and ownership, the law of succession, contracts and delicts. The goal is to understand how the law functioned and the means by which the law was applied in daily life.
The University of British Columbia
Vancouver campus