CALL FOR PAPERS: The Worlds of the Trust

CALL FOR PAPERS THE WORLDS OF THE TRUST
Faculty of Law, McGill University
23‐25 September 2010

Until recently, the trust was often described as foreign to the logic of the law of property in the civilian tradition. This assertion is increasingly untenable, as the profile of the trust in legal systems with a civilian law of property continues to develop and expand. This conference seeks to explore the multiple ways in which civilian and mixed legal systems have embraced the trust, with the goal of allowing jurists from different jurisdictions to better understand their different approaches to this increasingly important legal institution. The working languages of the conference will be English and French.

Some of the themes which we expect to be covered include: the historical development of trusts in civilian and mixed systems; the differing conceptual structures of such trusts, including how they are understood within the general law; the language of trust law; comparative trust law; the uses and applications of trusts in the modern world; and the possibilities for internationalizing trust law through increased recognition of foreign trusts and of party autonomy in choosing the governing law for trusts.

Confirmed participants include: François Barrière (Paris II—Panthéon‐Assas); Madeleine Cantin Cumyn (McGill); Yaëll Emerich (McGill); George Gretton (Edinburgh); Lusina Ho (Hong Kong University); Adam Hofri‐Winogradow (Hebrew University of Jerusalem); Mr. Justice Nicholas Kasirer (Quebec Court of Appeal); John Langbein (Yale); Paul Matthews (King’s College London); Michael McAuley (McGill); Robert Sitkoff (Harvard); Lionel Smith (McGill).

Proposals for papers are now invited. If you would like to offer a paper, please submit a working title and an abstract (of no more than 350 words) by email to crdpcq.law@mcgill.ca before 15 April 2010. The abstract should be written in English or French, the language of the abstract indicating the language of the proposed full paper. Papers will be selected on the basis of their quality and originality, as well as their engagement with the conference theme and their fit with other papers being presented at the conference. The selection will be made by a scientific committee.

Presenters whose proposals are accepted will be expected to meet their own travel and accommodation costs, although the conference registration fee will be waived. Depending on the outcome of applications for financial assistance, some funds may be available to assist presenters with travel and accommodations; those who have need of such funds should indicate this in their applications.