Also posted on Int-Law
I have had requests from law librarians on how to start building up a
foreign law collection. The following may be of help, at least for
some of the European countries.
I have come across a useful series of bibliographical overviews of
the foreign laws of various member states of the European
Community. These annotated bibliographies are published in the
IALS Bulletin (University of London. Institute of Advanced Legal
Studies). So far, they include France (Issue 4, Spring Term 1989-
90), Germany (Issue 5, Summer Term 1989-90, Spain (Issue 6, Autumn
Term 1990-91), the Netherlands (Issue 7, October 1991), Belgium and
Luxemburg (Issue 11, April 1992), and Italy (Issue 13, January
1993). A few pages in length, they provide give a short
introduction and an annotated list of primary sources--Codes and
statutes, law reports, and digests of case law, and secondary
sources--encyclopedias and treatises, English language works, and
periodicals. These short bibliographies can be useful for American
law libraries who are building a collection of foreign law and
don't know where to start. They are also useful to identify titles
of certain foreign primary sources (e.g., where do I find the text
of a Spanish statute?).
Claire M. Germain, Associate Director, Duke University School of Law
Library. Durham, NC 27706. Phone: (919) 684 6182.
Internet: CMG@faculty.law.duke.edu
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