The book Law, Lawyers and Politics, edited by Professor Bronisław Sitek, Dr. Ewa Pietrzak and Professor Łukasz Majewski from SWPS University, analyzes Roman legal tradition in light of present-day tensions between law and political power.
A new perspective on Roman law
The volume is the result of the international academic initiative that took place during the Augsburg Seminar held at SWPS University in Warsaw between May 29 and 31, 2025. It stands out as an exceptional example of interdisciplinary and intergenerational exchange within legal studies and the broader field of legal humanities. It gathers contributions from students, doctoral candidates, and early-career researchers representing five leading European universities: SWPS University, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, University of Augsburg, University of Pisa and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Together, they sought to reinterpret Roman legal traditions in light of contemporary challenges, by placing historical legal sources into dialogue with modern questions of justice, authority, legitimacy and social structure. The volume discussed various topics, such as:
- the use of international law in nineteenth-century Spanish colonialism
- the political instrumentalisation of statutes in late Republican Rome
- the status of women in ancient legal narration
- the role of the Senate as a quasi-legislator
- the evolution of legal rhetoric
- the clash between democracy and technocracy during the eurozone crisis.
A particularly noteworthy aspect of the publication is its innovative approach to academic hierarchy: young researchers took the lead in organizing sessions, presenting their findings, and steering discussions, while senior scholars offered support and mentorship from behind the scenes. This form of collaboration not only encourages genuine scholarly growth but also empowers emerging voices within the legal academic community.
The book was published by Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek with the support of SWPS University's Faculty of Law in Warsaw.