5th International Scientific Seminar "Roman Maritime Law"

On April 19, 2023, the 5th International Scientific Seminar "Roman Maritime Law" was held, organized by the Department of Roman Law. The seminar accompanied the 11th National Conference on Maritime Law.

Organized since 2017, on the initiative of Assoc. Prof. Jacek Wiewiorowski, the Roman seminars are devoted to various aspects of Roman Maritime Law and the maritime activities of the Ancient Romans. The language of the conference is English.

In earlier editions of the seminar, in addition to researchers from various academic centers in Poland, researchers from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Spain and the United Kingdom took part. In 2019, a selection of texts that are the aftermath of the first two editions of the seminar was published in the pages of "Gdańsk Legal Studies" (No. 3 (43) / 2019): "Roman Maritime Law. Maritime Legal Traditions and Modern Legal Issues" (ed. J. Wiewiorowski). The Roman seminar initiative was not interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic period, during which two online meetings were held.

This year's meeting, this time in a hybrid version, was attended by researchers from research centers in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. The meeting was opened by Assoc. Prof. M. M. Wiszowaty, Deputy Dean of the Faculty, and seven papers were presented during the scientific part.

In their papers, the researchers explored the issues of freedom of fishing and hunting in imperial legislation, maritime and land importation of goods, the formation of self-defense and negotiation in interaction with pirates, maritime plunder, responsibility for clearing the Orontes River in Syria in the Late Antique period, and the relationship between freedom of navigation and protection of maritime territory.

The participants' speeches contributed to a lively discussion of issues relevant to historical research, but important for the present day. Among the audience of the seminar, also the law students took part.