Welcome to the Institute of Law Guernsey’s Online Library of Customary Law Texts
This library was made possible not only by the late St John Robilliard’s generous monetary donation to get the library up and running, but also by his Estate’s willingness to grant the Institute of Law Guernsey access to his incredible collection of customary law texts.
We are currently in the process of digitising St John’s collection. If you wish to see a particular text added to the site, tell us and if it is in St John’s collection we will move it to the front of the queue. And if you have texts you think would be of value to the legal community in Guernsey that you are willing to allow us to digitise and add to this site, click the Support link at the top of the page and tell us!
We are also delighted to be able to provide a link to the Bibliothèque Numérique de David Houard (available here). The website provides numerous essential texts regarding Norman customary law, supported by academics from the Universities of Rouen and Caen.
“Norman Institutions”
Charles Homer Haskins
First published in 1918, Haskins’ work is regarded by scholars, working with Google to digitise select books from university libraries, as part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.
This work is in the public domain, and the Institute of Law Guernsey has included it on the Law Library primarily to assist those Guernsey Bar Aspirants pursuing the Certificat d’Etudes Juridiques Françaises et Normandes at L'Université de Caen Normandie.
“Normandy under william the conqueror”
Charles Homer Haskins
"Normandy Under William the Conqueror" was first published in The American Historical Review, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Apr. 1909), pp. 453-476.
The copyright on the work has now expired, and the Institute of Law Guernsey has included it on the Law Library primarily to assist those Guernsey Bar Aspirants pursuing the Certificat d’Etudes Juridiques Françaises et Normandes at L'Université de Caen Normandie.
“the government of normandy under henry ii”
Charles Homer Haskins
"The Government of Normandy Under Henry II" was first published in The American Historical Review, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Jan. 1915), pp. 277-291.
The copyright on the work has now expired, and the Institute of Law Guernsey has included it on the Law Library primarily to assist those Guernsey Bar Aspirants pursuing the Certificat d’Etudes Juridiques Françaises et Normandes at L'Université de Caen Normandie.
“La Coutume de normandie”
Robert Besnier
“On The Law Of Real Property In Guernsey”
Peter Jeremie
“approbation des loix coustume, et usages de l’isle de guernezey”
ed. Tramailier, 1715
“Traité Du Voisinage: Tome Premier”
Jean-François Fournel
“Traité Du Voisinage: Tome Second”
Jean-François Fournel
“A Treatise on the Law of Obligations, or contracts”
Pothier
Translated from the French, with an appendix, and notes, illustrative of the English law on the subject, by William David Evans, ESQ.
“An Essay on the Laws of Real Property in Guernsey, and Commentary on the present laws of Inheritance and Wills”
Including notices of guarantee and expropriation of real property, pre-emption, hypothecation, and dower.
With an appendix containing the original petition for the reform of these laws - The Defence Of That Reform - The Report Of The Court’s Committee - The Report Of The Petitioners - And The Law As Adopted By The Privy Council.
Peter Jeremie
“Commentaries On Civil Law”
Both public and private, observed in the land & Duchy of Normandy. A facsimile of the 1574 edition with new introductory materials by Gordon Dawes.
Master William Terrien
