New Book and Seminar Heroes of the Judicial Periphery

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Last month the book The Heroes of the Judicial Periphery: Court Experts, Court Clerks, and Other Actors in the Shadows, edited by Alan Uzelac and Stefaan Voet (Hart/Bloomsbury Publising, 2025) was published. The book highlights the role of perhaps less prominent, but nevertheless important actors in (international) judicial procedures from a national, comparative and/or international perspective.

The European Civil Justice Centre (Erasmus School of Law) hosts a seminar in collaboration with the editors to launch the book on 4th July 2025 from 10-12 CEST.

Discussions on civil justice mostly focus on procedural rules, and the role of courts, parties and lawyers. This book addresses other actors that are often overlooked in academic and policy debates. It assesses the role of court experts, court clerks and court staff, and other actors on the ‘judicial periphery’ who play an important role and often co-determine the pace, outcome, and tone of the judicial process.

The knowledge and skills of experts may be indispensable at times, but it is among the most expensive, complicated and time-consuming means of evidence. The judges adjudicate, but where experts are involved in the process, they have a decisive impact on the outcome of litigation. Therefore, a principal focus of the book is on experts and how they are appointed, managed, and remunerated across Europe and the world.

The editors will discuss topical issues highlighting these ‘actors in the shadows’ and key experts will present their ideas based on the key findings of the book chapters, followed by discussion.

Registration for free here (hosted through Eventbrite)

Speakers & program:

10.00 Opening and welcome: Xandra Kramer

10.05 Alan Uzelac & Stefaan Voet – Heroes of the Judicial Periphery

10.15 Juraj Brozovic – The Case of Judicial Advisors in Croatia

10.30 Camilla Bernt – Expert Evidence in Custody Disputes and Child Protection Cases

10.50 Discussion

11.05 Michael Stürner – Experts on Foreign Law in German Civil Procedure

11.30 Adriani Dori & Xandra Kramer – The Role of Third-Party Funders in the Shadow of the Procedure

11.45 Discussion

 

Book on The New Relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union

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A book on The New Relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union was recently published. The book is edited by Dr. Emmanuel Guinchard (Liverpool John Moores University) and Prof. Carlo Panara (University of Leicester) and may be accessed here.

Overview

  • Covers the whole spectrum of the new relationship between the UK and the EU
  • Contains original discussion and evaluations of the impact of Brexit on UK sovereignty
  • Includes both topics covered in the recent agreements and topics that have been left in a grey area

Read more

Commission Report and Staff Working Document on Brussels I recast

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Today the European Commission published its eagerly awaited Commission Report on the application of the Brussels Ia Regulation (also referred to as Brussels I-bis), No 1215/2012 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (recast). The Report is accompanied by a Staff Working Document, detailing a number of selected topics addressed in the Report. The documents rely in particular on the extensive Evaluation Study that was published in January 2023 as well as the findings of the JUDGTRUST project and the resulting book. Read more

Journal of Private International Law 20th Anniversary Conference – Programme and Registration

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The 20th Anniversary Conference of the Journal of Private International Law will take place at the Faculty of Laws of University College London between 11 and 13 September 2025.A

The conference organizers, Ugljesa Grusic (UCL) and Alex Mills (UCL), and the editors of the Journal, Paul Beaumont (University of Stirling) and Jonathan Harris (King’s College London), are pleased to announce that the conference programme is now available on the conference website.

The conference will include, in the customary manner, a mixture of parallel panel sessions (on Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning) and plenary sessions (on Friday).

A limited number of non-speaker tickets and conference dinner tickets are available via the conference website, with early bird fees until 1 July 2025.

LEX & FORUM Vol. 3/2024

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EDITORIAL

In an increasingly globalized world—and especially within the framework of a unified market founded on economic freedom and the free movement and establishment of individuals and businesses—international sales have emerged as a cornerstone of the legal and economic order. They are not merely instruments for the acquisition of assets across borders; they also function as a key mechanism for fostering business growth and enhancing competitiveness through the expansion of commercial activity and client networks.
Given their fundamental role, international sales are subject to a broad and multi-layered legal framework at the international level. This complex regulatory landscape gives rise to a number of interpretative and practical challenges, particularly with regard to the interaction and prioritization of overlapping legal norms. Read more

Call for Papers: “Tariffs: Emerging challenges in global trade” by the Journal of Law, Market & Innovation (JMLI)

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The Journal of Law, Market & Innovation (JLMI) welcomes submissions for its first issue of 2026.

The Call for Papers for this second issue is devoted to Tariffs: Emerging challenges in global trade.

You can find the call with all the details at this link.

Prospective articles should be submitted in the form of an abstract (around 800 words) or draft articles to submissions.jlmi@iuse.it within 10 July 2025. The publication of the issue is set for the end of March, 2026.

For further information, or for consultation on a potential submission, you can contact us by email at editors.jlmi@iuse.it.

Seminar: Child marriage: root causes and questions of recognition, 5 June

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At the occasion on 5 June of the PhD Defence of Leontine Bruijnen on How can Private International Law bridge the Gap between the Recognition of Unknown Family Relations such as Kafala and Child Marriage for Family Law and Migration Law Purposes? , we are organising an expert seminar at the University of Antwerp and online:

Child marriage: root causes and questions of recognition:

11.00: Welcome and introduction by Thalia Kruger, University of Antwerp

11.10: The Role of Customs and Traditions in Addressing Child Marriages in Tanzania: A Human Rights-Based Approach, by Esther Kayamba, Mzumbe University and University of Antwerp

11.25: The link between climate change and child marriage in Tanzania, by Agripina Mbilinyi, Mzumbe University and University of Antwerp

11.40: Socio-cultural factors that Sustain Child Marriage at Quarit Wereda, Amhara Region, Ethiopia by Yitaktu Tibetu, Human Rights Lawyer, Senior Gender Adviser and councillor psychologist

12.00: Perspective from Europe by Bettina Heiderhoff, University of Münster and Trui Daem, PhD researcher Ghent University

12.20: Debate and Q&A

12.50: End

To register, please contact Thalia Kruger

Second Issue of Lloyd’s Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly for 2025

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The second issue of LMCLQ was recently published.

It contains the following conflict of laws works,

 

David Foxton, “The Applicable Law of an Arbitration Agreement: Floating or on the Rocks?”

 

Marcus Teo and Kah-Wai Tan, “Territoriality over Universalism”

 

Adrian Briggs, “Submission to a Russian Court”

Virtual Workshop (in English) on June 3, 2025: Michael Karayanni on “Voice and Exit in Private International Law: The Case of the Israeli Inter-religious Regime”

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On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the Hamburg Max Planck Institute will host its monthly virtual workshop Current Research in Private International Law at 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (CEST). Professor Michael Karayanni (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) will speak, in English, about the topic

“Voice and Exit in Private International Law: The Case of the Israeli Inter-religious Regime”

Private international law can play a significant role in countries with inter-religious legal regimes by offering individuals an option to “exit” their personal religious law in favor of secular law in effect in a foreign country. My presentation will examine the development of the lex loci celebrationis choice of law rule within Israel’s inter-religious regime. Additionally, it will investigate whether this development has empowered individuals with an adequate “voice” to challenge community-based religious norms.

 

The presentation will be followed by open discussion. All are welcome. More information and sign-up here.

If you want to be invited to these events in the future, please write to veranstaltungen@mpipriv.de.