News

The Worlds of the Trust: newest publication from the Paul-André Crépeau Centre

Published: 11 September 2013

We are happy to announce that the latest publication from the Crépeau Centre is The Worlds of the Trust (Cambridge University Press, 2013), which was edited by Professor Lionel Smith.

This collection of 22 essays makes a significant contribution to the comparative study of trusts. It includes contributions from Canada, the U.S., England, France, Scotland, South Africa, Israel and China.

This publication is one of the outcomes of a substantial research project on trusts in civilian and mixed jurisdictions. Other outcomes are Re-imagining the Trust: Trusts in Civil Law (Cambridge University Press, 2012), also edited by professor Smith,  and a forthcoming special issue of the McGill Law Journal (volume 58, no. 4).

From the book's jacket

Despite the common belief that they are found only in the common law tradition, trusts have long been known in mixed jurisdictions even where they have a civilian law of property. Trusts have now been introduced by legislation in a number of civilian jurisdictions, such as France and China. Other recent developments include the reception of foreign trusts through private international law in Italy and Switzerland and the inclusion of a chapter on trusts in Europe's Draft Common Frame of Reference. As a result, there is a growing interest in the ways in which the trust can be accommodated in civil law systems. This collection explores this question, as well as general issues such as the juridical nature of the trust, the role and qualifications of the trustee and particular developments in specific jurisdictions.

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