About the Subject
When a legal relationship has a foreign element, there is a conflict between various potentially applicable laws. In these cases, it is necessary to choose which country’s law governs the relationship. The governing law is fundamental in determining what rights and obligations the parties have towards each other. Therefore, any evaluation of an international legal relationship must start by resolving the question of which law governs. Furthermore, if there is a dispute, it must be ascertained which courts will have jurisdiction. In these cases, it is necessary to choose which country’s courts will hear the dispute. Private international law (also known as conflict-of-laws rules or choice-of-law rules) is the branch of the law that provides an answer to these questions. It enables one to identify which country’s courts have jurisdiction and which country’s substantive law is applicable to the merits.
Teaching
Lectures are offered in Norwegian: JUR1280 and JUR 5280
http://www.uio.no/studier/emner/jus/jus/JUS5280/
The following subjects are taught in English and have relevance to private international law:
International Commercial Law
http://www.uio.no/studier/emner/jus/jus/JUR1230/
Comparative Private Law
http://www.uio.no/studier/emner/jus/jus/JUR1240/
http://www.uio.no/studier/emner/jus/jus/JUR5240/
Topics for the Masters Thesis
Research
Research within private international law is actively pursued in the Department. The main focus of research is on contractual obligations, but other objects of research such as choice of law and jurisdiction within, among other fields, family law, labour law, tort law and insolvency are also included.
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