Comparative Perspectives in Scottish and Norwegian Legal History, Trade and Seafaring, 1200-1800

This book explores the connections and points of contact between Norwegian law and Scots law, comparing Scottish and Norwegian state formation, governance of the realm and town law, migration, trade, and seafaring across the North Sea. It lays the groundwork for future studies in comparative legal history between Scotland and Norway and reflects on and contributes to the methodology of comparative legal history more generally.

Format: Hardback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

The connections and points of contact between Norwegian law and Scots law are explored in this comprehensive book. Drawing together contributions from distinguished and early career scholars with expertise in the fields of legal, economic, and political history, the book compares Scottish and Norwegian state formation, governance of the realm and town law, migration, trade, and seafaring across the North Sea.

Laying the groundwork for future studies in comparative legal history between Scotland and Norway, the book reflects on and contributes to the methodology of comparative legal history more generally. Each chapter pair is accompanied by an introduction by the editors, drawing out the common themes that unite the chapters.

The book highlights significant points of contact and similarities in the ways in which the laws of Scotland and Norway developed. The Treaty of Perth of 1266 played a pivotal role in the state formation of both countries, as well as in determining their territorial boundaries. The laws and customs applicable in the Orkneys and the Shetlands, which were once subject to Scottish sovereignty, still retain a distinctive Norse influence.

The extensive trading links between the two countries united by the North Sea raise the question of how trade between the territories was regulated. This book seeks to address this question by bringing together experts in Norwegian and Scottish legal, economic, and political history. It breaks new ground by considering Scots law in terms of its historical interactions and similarities with another national legal system, rather than in terms of its place at the intersection between the common law and the civilian traditions.

As a definitive reference work, this book will form the basis of future studies in comparative legal history, and comparative law more generally, in relation to Scotland and Norway. It is a valuable resource for scholars, students, and practitioners interested in the legal history and comparative law of these two countries.

Weight: 658g
Dimension: 162 x 241 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399503853