Research centres and projects

Swiss Institute of Comparative Law

The Swiss Institute of Comparative Law (Institut suisse de droit comparé, or ISDC) was established in Lausanne in 1982. Its primary task is to prepare legal opinions in respect of foreign law for the Federal authorities, courts, lawyers and other individuals. It also produces studies in comparative law, holds colloquia and carries out research projects. The Institute has an extensive law library, whose catalogue is available via the website. A set of legal links for countries from Afghanistan to Zambia is available on the Law Online page, annotated in English.

Normative Action: UNESCO - Culture

This section of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) website focuses on conventions for the protection of cultural heritage, including non-UNESCO conventions. Full-text treaties and their protocols; drafts; preparatory working documents from committees and diplomatic conferences; and information about state signatories are provided. Information is also available about current activities and forthcoming events. The site is in English, French and Spanish. Links to related websites are provided.

Institute of Art and Law

The Institute of Art and Law is an independent institution founded in 1995 focusing on art law and cultural property law. The Institute organises regular seminars on topics related to art and law for lawyers, historians, collectors, dealers, museum officials and others. Specialised training courses are also held on heritage law and practice. The site gives brief definitions on topics such as moral rights, illicit trade, authenticity, repatriation, export licensing and archaeological objects.

One Europe or Several? The Dynamics of Change Across Europe

This is the website of an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) programme which studied several areas of change and development within contemporary Europe. It ended in 2003. The programme aimed to examine " ... contemporary processes of political, security, economic, social and cultural change across the European continent, notably in relation to influences on convergence and divergence within and between European countries and prospects for integration and fragmentation." One Europe or Several?

Avalon Project : the American Constitution : a Documentary Record

This site contains the full-text of a number of primary source documents relating to the historical development of the United States constitution. They are maintained as part of the Avalon project of Yale University. They include the text of the Magna Carta, the Mayflower compact, the English Bill of Rights 1689 and documents relating to the Constitutional Convention.

Children and Armed Conflict Unit

The Children and Armed Conflict Unit is a joint project of the Children's Legal Centre and the Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex. Its aim is to provide information on the impact of war on children and to analyse existing human rights law in order to provide a better protection of childrens' rights. Its website provides information on the scope of the project, recent news stories relating to on-going conflicts worldwide, and details of the Unit's recent field visits to specific war zones.

Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law

The Max-Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law is a research institute carrying out research in the following areas: public international law; comparative constitutional and administrative law; international environmental law; European constitutional law and administrative law. The site has information on the history and organisation of the Institute, staff and trustees and publication details. There is a link to the library's OPAC and links to other research schools of the Max Planck Institute. The site can be viewed in English and German.

Jean Monnet Project

Under the Jean Monnet Project, the European Commission supports university initiatives aimed at creating teaching activities in European integration, in particular in Law, Economics, Political Science and History. The Jean Monnet Center is based at New York University. Its website makes available the Jean Monnet Working Paper Series from 1995 onwards, the European Journal of International Law and European Integration Current Contents. The site also gives details of the Center's activities, courses and fellowships.

Institute of European Law

The Institute of European Law (IEL) carries out interdisciplinary reseach on European Law and is part of the Faculty of Law at the University of Birmingham. Details of the IEL programme of conferences, seminars and lectures are available. Much information is given about the mobility of lawyers within the European Union, with detail of the applicable regulations of each member state

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