Fons et origo iuris: a historical introduction to property law

Contemporary property law has emerged from various legal traditions. The most important is that of Roman law. This book first provides a global overview of Roman property law and law of obligations as found in the Corpus iuris civilis of Emperor Justinian (482-565). In the Middle Ages, the Corpus luris formed the basis for legal science; from the fifteenth century onwards, it had a major influence on private law throughout continental Europe and beyond. Using three central themes - transfer, contract and tort - Fons et origo luris then follows the influence of the Corpus luris from the twelfth century to the present day.
Jan Hallebeek (1954) is professor of European legal history at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. He previously published Quia natura nichil privatum: Aspecten van de eigensuraag in het werk van Thomas van Aquino (1986), The Concept of Unjust Enrichment in Late Scholasticism (1996) and articles in the field of Roman law, medieval jurisprudence and ecclesiological Jansenism.