Legal Consciousness, Pluralism and Cultural Identity Formation of Basque Laws from a Historical, Comparative and European Perspective - Conciencia jurídica, pluralismo y formación de la identidad cultura en el derecho vasco desde una perspectiva histórica

28 Jun 2022

Coordinators: Joxerramon Bengoetxea (UPV/EHU, Iura Vasconiae, IISL) (Director, Organizing Committee), Martin Ramstedt (IISJ/Ikerbasque/UPV/EHU) (Organizing Committee), Roldán Jimeno (UPNA, Iura Vasconiae) (Organizing Committee), Itziar Alkorta (UPV/EHU, Iura Vasconiae, IISJ) (Organizing Committee)

Description of the meeting

The seminar is an exploratory workshop between the Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law and the Iura Vasconiae Foundation. aiming to discuss the historical development of Basque law from the point of view of legal pluralism and the formation of a legal identity (legal consciousness, legal culture) but with a special interest in comparative European perspectives, comparing the evolution of Basque law with other cases of non-state legal systems in Europe. Can the dialogue between these disciplines deliver further opportunities for collaboration between the two institutions Oñati IISL, which focuses on sociolegal studies and comparative legal cultures, and Iura Vasconiae, which focuses on Basque legal history. There will be six presentations (20 minutes, each followed by a group discussion) in English or Spanish (no interpretation), by scholars of Basque and neighbour Universities, and the IISL, and by an external European legal historian with special focus on Legal Culture and Comparative Law. The seminar will give a brief overview of Basque legal history, considering reception of, and resistance to external laws, the impact of other laws on the development of Basque law, the major transplants, the key institutions, alochtonous/autonomous features. This will be followed by the presentation and discussion around on a referential institution of public law, the Juntas Generales or provincial assemblies, and one institution of private law, inheritance of the household and identity-personality of the etxe (the house-hearth). These themes will be then open up to considerations concerning legal consciousness, legal identity, pluralism and federalism from a legal cultural, sociolegal and jurisprudential perspective. The comparative framework of the Basque institutions will be analysed in the light of European comparative legal history and the seminar will conclude with a rounbdtable focusing on methodological questions of comparison and interdisciplinary dialogues between legal history, sociolegal studies and comparative legal cultures.

El seminario es un taller exploratorio entre el Instituto Internacional de Sociología Jurídica de Oñati y la Fundación Iura Vasconiae, con el objetivo de discutir el desarrollo histórico del derecho vasco desde el punto de vista del pluralismo jurídico y la formación de una identidad jurídica (conciencia jurídica, cultura jurídica) pero con especial interés en perspectivas europeas comparadas y en sistemas jurídicos no estatales europeos. Queremos explorar si el diálogo entre disciplinas puede generar más oportunidades de colaboración entre las dos instituciones el IISJ de Oñati, que se centra en estudios sociojurídicos y culturas jurídicas comparadas, e Iura Vasconiae, que se centra en la historia jurídica vasca. Habrá seis presentaciones de 20 minutos en inglés o español (sin interpretación) a cargo de académicos de las Universidades vascas y vecinas, y del IISJ, otra por un historiador del derecho europeo abierto a la Cultura Jurídica y al Derecho Comparado, y una mesa redonda sobre metodología. Cada presentación tendrá su propio debate. El seminario ofrecerá una breve descripción de la historia jurídica vasca, considerando la recepción y la resistencia a las leyes externas (impacto de otras leyes en el desarrollo del derecho vasco, principales trasplantes, características de las instituciones alóctonas/autonómicas). A continuación, se presentará y debatirá sobre una institución referencial de derecho público, las Juntas Generales o asambleas provinciales, y una institución de derecho privado, la herencia del caserío e identidad-personalidad de etxe (la casa-hogar). Estos temas se abrirán luego a consideraciones relativas a la conciencia jurídica, la identidad jurídica, el pluralismo y el federalismo o pactismo desde una perspectiva cultural jurídica, sociojurídica y jurisprudencial. Se analizará el marco comparado de las instituciones vascas a la luz de la historia del derecho comparado europeo y el seminario concluirá con una mesa redonda centrada en cuestiones metodológicas de comparación y diálogos interdisciplinares entre historia del derecho, estudios sociojurídicos y culturas del derecho comparado.

Our experience in Oñati

On June 28th 2022 the Oñati IISL, together with Iura Vasconiae (Foundation for the study of the history of Basque law) held a joint one day workshop (Bilkura) on the issue of identity and pluralism through the History of Basque Law, in the light of a comparative European experience. Scholars from diffferent legal disciplines from the Basque Universities (UPV/EHU, Public University of Navarre) and from the University of Bordeaux and the University of Helsinki presented papers and acted as discussants. The discussions were very fruitful and the workshop participants agreed to explore future collaboratives between the two institutions, to evaluate this experimental meeting at both institutions and then to exchange opinions about the opportunity to keep celebrating these joint seminars.

If you are interested in the details, you can read in Spanish a brief report of the workshop in the iisl webpage, under Basque issues +info.

Jose Ramon Bengoetxea,
University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
joxerramon.bengoetxea@ehu.eus