Posts

Showing posts with the label history of public law

CONFERENCE: 27th British Legal History Conference (Nottingham: University of Nottingham, 1-4 JUL 2026)

Image
(image source: British Legal History Conference 2026 ) Prof. Dave De ruysscher will speak at the British Legal History Conference  in Nottingham next week. More information on the programme here .

EUTOPIA: Publication of student contributions on CoLeCo Legal History blog

Image
The EUTopia Connected Learning Community Legal History worked in 2025-2026 on the theme " The End(s) of War" . Students from UPF Barcelona (prof. Alfons Aragoneses), CY Cergy Paris Université (Prof. Caroula Argyriadis-Kervégan), Univerza v Ljubljani (Prof. Katja Škrubej) and VUB (Prof. Frederik Dhondt ) worked hybridly, online and in-person. Following the peak event (February/March, this year in Barcelona ), students finalised their research. Every individual or collective contribution appears on the CoLeCo's blog from 9 June on. More information here .

CONFERENCE: Section for Institutional and Legal history [Congrès des cercles francophones d’Archéologie et d’Histoire de Belgique] (Brussels: Palace of the Academies, 20-23 AUG 2026)

Image
(image source ( ACFHAB )  The Conference of Historical and Archaeological Societies of Belgium will return to Brussels for its next edition. The event will take place at the Palace of the Academies from 20 to 23 August 2026 , with the support of the French-Speaking Community of Belgium, the Académie Royale de Belgique, urban.brussels, and the City of Brussels.  The section devoted to Institutional and Legal History , chaired by Prof. em. Jean-Marie Cauchies with dr. Marc Ronvaux and Prof. Frederik Dhondt as vice-presidents and dr. Nicolas Simon as secretary, will bring together a series of academic presentations. Prof. Frederik Dhondt   will present on “ The little-known memoir of the Count of Calenberg on the Ostend Company (1725) ”, as detailed in the official programme.  Learn more about the program and details here .

CORE WEEKLY GATHERING: drs. Louis DEBERSAQUES on Exploring the role of ‘legal middlemen’ in construction law (Belgium, Belle Époque) (Ixelles: VUB, 29 APR 2026)

(image source: Europeana ) On Wednesday 29 April, drs. Louis Debersaques  will present on the aims, sources and structure of his PhD dissertation on building and its legal framework in 19th and 20thC Belgium. This will take place in room B 4.08, 13:05-14:35 . Catering is foreseen.  RVSP with Frederik dot dhondt at vub dot be.

YOUTUBE: Recording of Nathaniel BOYD's book presentation (VUB: Council Room 2.07A, 21 APR 2026)

Image
Dr. Nathaniel Boyd (York)'s recent presentation of his monograph Hegel and German Public Law (Bloomsbury) is available on CORE's Youtube Channel .

DEADLINE EXTENDED: 59e Congrès de la Fédération des Cercles d’archéologie et d’histoire de Belgique (Brussels: Académie Royale de Belgique, 20-23 AUG 2026) [DEADLINE 30 APR 2026]

Image
  The website for the 59th Congress of the Federation of Archaeological and Historical Societies of Belgium/12th Congress of French-Speaking Societies of History and Archaeology of Belgium (ACfHAB) is now fully functional. Proposals for the section  Institutional and Legal History (incl. sigillography)  can be sent through the form on the website, or directly to the President (prof. em. Jean-Marie Cauchies/ARB), the Vice-Presidents (Marc Ronvaux - Prof.  Frederik Dhondt ) or  Secretary (dr. Nicolas Simon/ARB). More information  here .

BOOK REVIEW: Frederik DHONDT on Hugo TOUSSAINT, Penser le droit constitutionnel: Pellegrino Rossi (1787-1848) [Coll. Droit public - Bibliothèque des Thèses] (Paris: Mare & Martin, 2025) (Revue historique de droit français et étranger 2025/2 [avril-juin 2025], 241-244)

Image
Prof. Frederik Dhondt contributed a book review to the Revue historique de droit français et étranger' s second issue of 2025, on the monograph Penser le droit constitutionnel: Pellegrino Rossi (1782-1848)  published in the Bibliothèque des thèses - Droit public  (Mare & Martin).  Read more on Dalloz's website , or in the journal on paper.

CORE WEEKLY GATHERING: dr. Nathaniel BOYD (York) on Hegel and German Public Law (VUB: Council Room 2.07a, 21 APR 2026, 12:30-14:00)

Image
  (image source:  Hart/Bloomsbury ) Dr. Nathaniel Boyd will discuss his recent  Hegel and German Public Law  with dr. Raphaël Cahen . Abstract: Nathaniel Boyd's pathbreaking book argues that Hegel's political thought was shaped by German public law. This tradition of legal discourse, especially through its imperial tradition, was crucial to European modernity, influencing foundational philosophical concepts such as sovereignty, the state and the diverse legal systems that emerged from them. Hegel and German Public Law examines the impact of Johann Jacob Moser, Johann Stephan Pütter and Johann Christian von Majer on Hegel's intellectual development. It reveals how the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire informed his early speculative system and constitutional theory. In doing so, Boyd extends our understanding of Hegel's relation to European legal and political thought while offering an original interpretive framework for Hegel's absolute idealism and unfolding institu...

CONFERENCE WEBSITE: 59e Congrès de la Fédération des Cercles d’archéologie et d’histoire de Belgique (Brussels: Académie Royale de Belgique, 20-23 AUG 2026) [DEADLINE 15 APR 2026]

Image
The website for the 59th Congress of the Federation of Archaeological and Historical Societies of Belgium/12th Congress of French-Speaking Societies of History and Archaeology of Belgium (ACfHAB) is now fully functional. Proposals for the section Institutional and Legal History (incl. sigillography) can be sent through the form on the website, or directly to the President (prof. em. Jean-Marie Cauchies/ARB), the Vice-Presidents (Marc Ronvaux - Prof. Frederik Dhondt ) or  Secretary (dr. Nicolas Simon/ARB). More information here .

CORE/FRC LEGAL THEORY SEMINAR: Wiebe HOMMES, The Convention and the Kingdom. How the Netherlands Received the European Convention on Human Rights [Law in Context] (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2025), ISBN 9781009676816 (Ixelles: VUB, RC Council Room, 19 MAR 2026)

Image
  (image source: ESCLH blog ) Dr. Wiebe Hommes (UvA) will present his recent monograph The Convention and the Kingdom. How the Netherlands received the European Convention on Human Rights  (Cambridge University Press, 2025) on 19 March 2026  at 14:00  in the Faculty Council Room . On the book: How and why did the European Convention turn from a neglected legal tool into one of the most important human rights documents in legal practice? This book argues this remarkable development wasn't merely the result of a top-down movement initiated by the European Court, but of a far more dynamic process in which the national and European spheres engaged in constant co-creation. Focusing on the Netherlands and uncovering little known archival sources, it lays bare how the Convention was received over time throughout the entire Kingdom. In doing so, it incorporates insight into how European human rights were perceived in Europe and beyond. A much more varied story comes to ligh...

CALL FOR PAPERS: International Conference: Contested Seas. War, Commerce, and the Making of the Law of the Sea (c. 1400–1800) (Ostend: VUB/VLIZ, 19-20 NOV 2026) [DEADLINE 15 MAY 2026]

Image
International Conference: Contested Seas: War, Commerce, and the Making of the Law of the Sea (c. 1400–1800) 19-20 November 2026, Ostend, Belgium Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Campus Ostend / Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) Conveners : Stefano Cattelan & Frederik Dhondt (Vrije Universiteit Brussel – Faculty of Law and Criminology, Research Group CORE) Keynote speakers :  Surabhi Ranganathan (Lauterpacht Centre, University of Cambridge) Indravati Félicité (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg) Concept and Rationale: The early modern law of the sea did not emerge as a coherent or pacified body of rules. Rather, it took shape as a fragmented and deeply contested legal regime. It was forged through recurrent warfare, commercial rivalry, and persistent struggles over jurisdiction and enforcement at sea. The pelagic arena was characterised by o verlapping jurisdictions, uneven enforcement, and profound asymmetries of power (Benton, 2010). The freedom of the s...

PROJECT WEBSITE: Above and Beyond Construction (EOS; Dave DE RUYSSCHER - Louis DEBERSAQUES)

Image
(image source: above and beyond construction history ) The EOS-project, wherein Prof. Dave De ruysscher and drs. Louis Debersaques take part, has its own website. More information here .

ARTICLE: Frederik DHONDT, "Rechten en Vrijheden in de Weimargrondwet: Overdraagbare Onvervulde Beloftes?" (Tijdschrift voor Mensenrechten XXIII (2025), nr. 4, 6-14 [OPEN ACCESS]

Image
(image source: UGent ) Prof. Frederik Dhondt contributed an article on rights and freedoms in the Weimar Constitution to the Tijdschrift voor Mensenrechten . Read the article here in open access: DOI 10.21825/tvmr.96283 .

CALL FOR PAPERS: Dirigeants et dirigés [Journées de la Société d’histoire du droit et institutions des pays flamands, picards et wallons] (Versailles, 15-16 MAY 2026) [DEADLINE 15 APR 2026]

Image
Les journées de la Société d’histoire du droit et des institutions des pays flamands, picards et wallons se tiendront cette année à Versailles les 15 et 16 mai 2026, à l’invitation de Madame Catherine Lecomte, professeur émérite à l’université de Versailles-Saint Quentin et présidente honoraire de la société, sur le thème « Dirigeants et dirigés ». Si la notion de gouvernance a été, ces dernières années, souvent questionnée dans ses structures, ses moyens et ses fins, celle de gouvernant et plus largement de dirigeant mérite à nouveau une particulière attention. L’actualité contemporaine montre en effet qu’en matière de gouvernance publique, les structures institutionnelles ne suffisent pas à déterminer à elles seules les politiques qui demeurent influencées par la personnalité des dirigeants. Renouant avec une problématique classique de l’Histoire des idées politiques, un tel sujet propose une réflexion sur les gouvernements à travers la personne de ses dirigeants, s...

DATASET: Transcription of Goswin-Arnould de Wynants' Mémoires contenant des notions générales de tout ce qui concerne le Gouvernement des Païs Bas (Vienna, 1730) (Zenodo)

Image
  (image source: openaire ) Prof. Frederik Dhondt published the dataset "Goswin Arnould de Wynants' Mémoires contenant des notions générales de tout ce qui concerne le Gouvernement des Païs Bas (Vienna, 1730)" on Zenodo. Description: Transcription (generated with Transkribus, manually corrected and tagged) of an undated copy of Goswin Arnould de Wynants' Mémoires contenant des notions générales de tout ce qui concerne le Gouvernement des Païs Bas, initially written in Vienna in 1730 (239 images). Wynants was a member (since 1717) of the High Council for the Austrian Netherlands, an advisory organ to Emperor Charles VI (1711-1740). Trained as a lawyer in Leuven, he had been an attorney and councillor (judge) at the Council of Brabant before. Wynants describes the institutional and constitutional, but also commercial and judicial organisation of the provinces of the Spanish (from 1713 on, Austrian) Netherlands, from the late Middle Ages on. The work is written in an in...

ARTICLE: Frederik DHONDT, "Outsider and Insider Views of Philip V's Monarchy: Réal de Curban and Abbé de Montgon" [Special issue "El acceso de Felipe V al trono español. Reacciones ante una reformulación en las relaciones de poder", eds. María LUZ GONZÁLEZ MEZQUITA & Christopher STORRS] (Magallánica : revista de historia moderna XII (2025), nr. 23, 256-286) [OPEN ACCESS]

Image
  (image source: magallánica ) Prof. Frederik Dhondt published an article in the special issue "El acceso de Felipe V al trono español. Reacciones ante una reformulación en las relaciones de poder" (edited by María Luz González Mezquita and Christopher Storrs) of the journal Magallánica . Abstract: This article examines two French printed sources that reflect on the Spanish monarchy under Philip V (1700–1746): Gaspard Réal de Curban’s  La Science du Gouvernement  (1760–1764) and the  Mémoires  of the abbé de Montgon (1748–1753). The former seeks to label and classify Philip V’s realm through a broad comparative approach encompassing public law, the law of nations, and what would today be described as political science. The latter, by contrast, offers a detailed (subjective and lively)  ex post  narrative of court intrigues and secret diplomacy between Versailles and San Ildefonso. While the former situates well-known episodes -such as Ripperda’s extra...

JOURNAL: Handelingen/Bulletin LIX (2025) (Koninklijke Commissie voor de Uitgave van Oude Wetten en Verordeningen van België/Commission Royale pour la Publication des Anciennes Lois et Ordonnances de Belgique) [OPEN ACCESS]

Image
  (image source: KCOWV/CRALO ) Prof. Dave De ruysscher and prof. Frederik Dhondt contributed to vol. LIX of the Handelingen/Bulletin  of the Royal Commission for the Publication of Old Laws and Ordinances of Belgium (ISBN 9782960272451). The fulltext of their contributions can be read in open access on rechtsreeks.be .

OPEN ACCESS: Brecht DESEURE (ed.), Drafts/Proposals of the Belgian Constitution (Brussels: Royal Commission for the Publication of Old Laws and Ordinances of Belgium, 2020)

Image
  (image source: oldbelgianlaw ) Our former voluntary associate dr. Brecht Deseure published a precious volume in 2020, containing drafts and proposals for the Belgian Constitution of 1831 with the Royal Commission for the Publication of Old Laws and Ordinances of Belgium. This work is now available in open access. More information here .

CHAPTER: Raphaël CAHEN, "Joseph Marie Portalis (1778–1858) as Advocate of Constitutional Monarchism", in: The Making of Modern Atlantic Monarchies, vol. 1: The Invention and Establishment of Conservative Monarchies, 1770-1900 (eds. Carolina ARMENTEROS, Matthijs LOK & Iason ZARIKOS) (London: Bloomsbury/Hart, 2025)

Image
  (image source: Bloomsbury ) Dr. Raphaël Cahen contributed a chapter on "Joseph Marie Portalis (1778–1858) as Advocate of Constitutional Monarchism". On the volume: This two-volume study sees contributors from the UK, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Singapore and ten countries from across mainland Europe analyse how monarchy has been theorized and implemented in the Atlantic world from the birth of conservatism during the French Revolution to the present day. Using monarchy as a lens, it also provides an original exploration of how conservatism, often branded as reactive, can be viewed as a continual response to, and reinterpretation of, pivotal social and political events over the longue durée. The Making of Modern Atlantic Monarchies shows that 1789, the Bourbons' return, the 1848 revolutions, the US Civil War, World War I, the rise and fall of fascism and other events became catalysts that triggered conservative thought and waves of traditionalist renovations - often posing...

CONFERENCE: Belgisch-Nederlandse Rechtshistorische Dagen (Nijmegen: Radboud Universiteit, 27-28 NOV 2025)

Image
  (image source: ESCLH Blog ) drs. Antoine Leclère , drs. Rodrick Van der Smissen and Prof. Frederik Dhondt will present at the Belgisch-Nederlandse Rechtshistorische Dagen  (Nijmegen, 27-28 November 2025). More information here .