An Introduction to Roman-Dutch Law (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from An Introduction to Roman-Dutch LawThe first edition of this book published in 1915 was designed to present a survey of the Roman-Dutch Law as it then existed in South Africa, in Ceylon, and in British Guiana. From January 1, 1917, this system was replaced in British Guiana by the Common Law of England. Consequently in the second edition, published in 1926, British Guiana was omitted from the picture. South Africa and Ceylon remained, the former being without question the predominant partner. In the interval of thirty years which has elapsed since the first edition, legislation of the Union Parliament and decisions of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa have been active in consolidating the law of the Union. To the extent to which these influences operate the old law either takes a new shape or fades into the background. Even today an immense chasm separates the Roman-Dutch Law of Holland from the modern law of South Africa. In another half-century, or less, recourse to the old authorities, which still form the basis of this book, will seldom be made. The Roman-Dutch Law will have been superseded in South Africa, not per saltum, as in British Guiana, but by a gradual process of disintegration and re-statement. This, rather than codification, may be predicted as the future of the Roman-Dutch Law in this part of the world.Meanwhile, in the Union of South Africa, if not elsewhere in equal degree, many institutions of the old law exhibit a stubborn persistency.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.