Professor Paul J. du Plessis

Professor of Roman Law

Director for Centre for Legal History; Convenor of Europa Library Committee; Head of Subject Area: Legal History

B.Juris, Hons B.A., LL.B, M.A., Ph.D, FRHistS FSA Scot

Office hours:

Monday 14:00-16:00 by appointment
Room 3.420 Old College

Tel: +44 (0)131-650-9701

Email: p.duplessis@ed.ac.uk

View my publications

Paul J. du Plessis holds the Chair of Roman Law at the University of Edinburgh. As a legal historian, he delves into the intricate links between law and society throughout history. His research covers law's doctrinal and historical aspects, primarily focusing on Roman law. This scope includes property and obligations, with a minor focus on persons and family. In his study of 'law and society,' he explores another era where Roman legal principles significantly influenced lawmaking: the European ius commune in the late Middle Ages. He examines structure, doctrine, and legitimacy here, challenging European legal history's established 'macro-narratives’.

He is the author of six books with publishers including Oxford University Press and Bloomsbury, and the Editor of eight volumes with the same publishers.

His research has been funded by various national and international organisations including the National Research Fund (South Africa), The Institute for Classical Studies (United Kingdom), and the Journal of Legal History (United Kingdom).

Recent indicators of esteem:

In 2020, he was elected to the Senatus Academicus.

In 2021, he was elected Professor Extraordinarius at the Faculty of Law, The University of the North West.

Twitter: @SententiaePauli

Research Groups

He is a member of various organisations dedicated to the study of legal history (the Selden Society, the Stair Society and the Southern African Society of Legal Historians) and he contributes actively to the web pages of the Centre for Legal History at Edinburgh University, primarily as co-author of the Edinburgh Legal History Blog. Since 2016, he is the Director of the Centre for Legal History.

He is also convener of the Edinburgh Roman Law Group, one of the most prominent groups for the discussion of Roman law in the United Kingdom and Western Europe and co-director of the research network Ancient Law in Context hosted jointly by the School of Law and the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh.

Collaborative Activity

He is the general editor (with Thomas McGinn) of the monograph series Oxford Studies in Roman Society and Law.

He is subject editor for Roman law for the Oxford Classical Dictionary.

Teaching

Paul du Plessis welcomes any enquiries from prospective LL.M or PhD students in any one of his major or minor fields of research. He is actively seeking PhD candidates in Roman law. He also supervises candidates in the fields of ancient history and history of ideas.

If you are considering postgraduate LL.M research in the field of legal history, please take a moment to visit the website of the LL.M by research.