10|2016 Independant administrative authorities

11|2016 Yearbook of French Law 2015 to mid-2016

The Henri Capitant Association of friends of French legal culture

has developed various actions which all aim at the developement of

the methods and values of continental or civil legal culture.

The Association organises several Congresses. To start with, the

International Meetings, which have taken place since the founding

of the Association, have led to regular publications amounting

presently to more than 60 volumes. These Meetings, which take

place every year and concentrate on a topic related to different

branches of law (private or public law, national and international

law), bring together specialists of law from more than 30 countries

from all over Europe, America, Africa and Asia. In recent years,

the Henri Capitant Association has also organised International

Sessions on a smaller scale where two or more groups exchange

points of view on current issues.

The Henri Capitant Association has concentrated on French Civil

Law Reform which was initiated at the beginning of the twenty first

century. In the same way, the Association has actively participated in

the european group in charge of the Common Frame of Reference

in order to build a new contractual European law.

With the Revue de Droit Henri Capitant or Henri Capitant Law

Review, the Association has embarked upon a new adventure. The

undertaking is ambitious because this Review is drafted in two

languages - in French and in English - and is the object of a dual

publication, in digital format and in hard copy. But it is up to the

challenge, which seems vital to meet: ensuring a better knowledge

of the law of civil law countries, of their legislation, of their caselaw and of their doctrines, by supporting their dissemination

throughout the world. In order to succeed in this undertaking,

it would not be possible, in fact, to disregard either the English

language or the digital media, which have become means of

communication that are unavoidable. And although it is true

that translation carries a risk of betrayal, and particularly so with

regards to legal subject-matter, it is nonetheless a risk well worth

taking. After all, certain civil law jurisdictions, such as Québec, state

their laws in several languages.

Each issue of the Review, which will be published every six months,

will address either a single theme, selected for its interest from the

standpoint of comparative law, or will offer a Yearbook of French

law in various branches of law. The Review will bring together laws,

judicial decisions and studies of yesteryear, as well as of today.