This page will carry information about the life and works of the founder of the Europa Institute, Professor JDB Mitchell. This work has been carried out, with the kind support of the Law School, as part of the programme of activities to mark the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the Europa Institute in 1968. Since it is intended to ensure that information about this webpage is circulated widely to alumni and others connected with the Europa Institute over the last forty years, it is hoped that comments, amplifications and corrections will be forthcoming from the readership in "wiki"(*) style.

Image reproduced by kind permission of artist Alan Sutherland

In 1968 John Mitchell, then Professor of Constitutional Law at Edinburgh University, founded the Centre of European Governmental Studies in the Faculty of Law (the first such centre in the UK) and was appointed the first Salvesen Professor of European Institutions, recognising the generosity of the Salvesen family. Already a leading authority on constitutional law, Mitchell went on to make significant scholarly contributions to the study and practice of European law. John Mitchell was also determined that his Centre would make a contribution to debates over the future of European integration – be this in the legal, economic or institutional spheres. 

(*) A true "wiki" allows visitors to edit the content of the website, gradually adding to knowledge through collaboration, and using the type of checks and balances on the editorial process that help to keep sites like Wikipedia reasonably balanced. While we lack the technological know-how to achieve this level of audience participation, we do hope to learn from our readers.