Professor Jean-Louis Halpérin receives honorary degree at summer graduation ceremony

At the Edinburgh Law School graduation ceremony on 8 July 2026, the University of Edinburgh awarded Jean-Louis Halpérin an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws.

Professor Halpérin is a distinguished legal historian with a global reputation, and Professor Emeritus at the École Normale Supérieure. Himself a student at “Normale Sup”, he gained degrees in history and law in Paris, before gaining the doctorat d’état in 1985 with a thesis on the ‘Tribunal de Cassation et ses Pouvoirs sous la Révolution’, awarded through the then Paris II, now Paris II Panthéon-Assas.

This marked the start of an outstanding career with a significant focus on French codification and modern international and global legal history, with his work also noted for its theoretical focus. He gained the agrégation in history of law in 1988, served as Professor of Law at the University of Lyon III (1988-98), then at the University of Burgundy (1998-2003), where he also served a term as Dean. 

In 2003 he returned to “Normale Sup”, retiring on 1 January 2026. In his retirement he will serve as a temporary magistrate, in the role of part-time criminal and civil judge at the tribunal judiciaire of Paris.

Image credit: Andrew Perry