Juxtaposing Legal Systems and the Principles of European Family Law on Parental Responsibilities

The Commission on European Family Law published its “Principles of European Family Law Regarding Parental Responsibilities” in 2007 as a contribution towards the establishment of a European Family Law. Only by empirical testing of the Principles in a number of legal systems can one demonstrate whether they are acceptable and/or are regarded as an improvement on existing national laws. This edited volume seeks to test the Principles in a range of legal systems, some untested: Malta, Estonia, Romania, Scotland and Turkey; some already considered by the CEFL: Denmark and England; and in so doing to assess these legal systems in view of the Principles, and the Principles in view of these legal systems. The final part of the volume is a comparative assessment of the findings, considering the Principles as harmonious ideals, and analysing the shortfalls in these ideals.


About the book
‘… a considerable achievement in terms of the brining together of a range of national systems on child law and […] and to promote and further develop the importance of placing the child at the centre of the legal framework of regulation. […] apart from its informative value, this book also provides the reader with food for further thought and contributes significantly to the ever-current debate of how far the harmonisation of European family law can go.’
Cl. Spirou in 2010 Revue Hellénique de droit international 1025