EUTopia CoLeCo Legal History: Collective and Individual Rights in Legal History

We are proud of all the work this last academic year that has united together students from the University of Warwick, Univerza u Ljubljana, VUB, and CY Cergy Paris Université as part of EuTopia Connected Learning Community in Legal History. This year our theme was 'Collective and Individual Rights in Legal History' which has allowed the students to investigate how people have found rights throughout history. Our Peak Event was held at the University of Warwick on March 13 to 15 2025. Here, the students managed to present their research for the first time before their colleagues leading up to their articles. Topics have ranged from Benjamin Marenče's look at the clashes over language and identity in Slovenian law during the end of the 1800s, to Blue Vercauteren Trompet's look at how debates over abortion in Belgium led to questions over the place of the monarchy in a modern Belgium. Below is our Virtual Exhibition, the culmination of the hard work and research of our st...

(image: Warwick University, Humanities Building) Dear readers, We are delighted to share three new contributions to our connected learning community: Emma Wittens on the Belgian "Charity Bill" of 1857, Blue Vercauteren Trompet on the Belgian Abortion Act of 1990, and Lisa Gouellain on animal rights (in French, in keeping with our alliance's commitment to multilingualism). We will now take a summer break until 15 August. The virtual exhibition bringing together all our contributions- curated by Lewis Twiby (Warwick) - will be available after that date.

1. Introduction 1.1. Context: Abortion, Feminism, and the Belgian Constitution of 1831 Belgium adopted one of the most liberal constitutions of its time in 1831, which subsequently served as a model for many other nations. The Belgian Constitution of 1831 forms the foundation of the democratic legal order in Belgium. It guarantees, among others, the freedom of expression (Art. 19), the freedom of association (Art. 27), and the right to peaceful assembly (Art. 26). These constitutional rights are not only fundamental guarantees but have historically functioned as crucial instruments for social change. One of the most compelling examples is the feminist movement in Belgium, which made full use of these rights. During the second half of the twentieth century, Belgian feminism evolved into a powerful societal force, focusing, among other issues, on the legalisation of abortion. This struggle was not solely about reproductive rights but also centred on bodily autonomy, gender equality, an...

This contribution examines animal rights in 19th-century France, beginning with the period of the Second Republic (1848–1850) and the enactment of the Grammont Act ( Loi Grammont , 2 July 1850). Local traditions in southern France, notably bullfighting ( corrida ); resisted central legislative and regulatory initiatives - particularly under the Third Republic. This tension became more pronounced from 1885 onwards, when mayors were elected rather than appointed, enabling them to issue regulations that more directly reflected the preferences of their constituents. By Lisa Gouellain    ( For the best experience, press ‘ F11 ’ to enter full-screen mode, and click on the images to view them in a larger format. )

Persecution in Belgium. (1857).  Punch, Or The London Charivari , 235, Europeana.eu.  Introduction  The Charity bill, through Belgian eyes it is a subject that is fairly easy to understand. Explaining the concept to international students, however, is a much more difficult task. After all, it is not an isolated event, but something that can only be understood by looking at the complex political history and the struggles between the different movements. Belgium is simply not the most unequivocal country politically speaking. We saw this more recently (2010-2011) when Belgium broke the world record for being without a government for the longest time.  The video above offers a starting point for understanding how history has shaped the image of the Church in Belgium. It also briefly introduces the Charity Bill itself and, of course, the pros and cons. However, there are certain important questions that remain. What events in Belgium led to the proposal of the charity law and...

  (image: Fords Hospital - Alms house of old ladies of Coventry) 14 posts have been released as part of this year's EUTopia Connected Learning Community Legal History's virtual exhibition.  Students from Ljubljana, CY Cergy Paris, Warwick and Brussels worked around the common theme " Collective and Individual Rights in Legal History" .  Ajra Šišernik on the University of Graz as a Slovene Cultural Centre ( here ) Améline Verhelst on female suffrage in 19th and 20th century Belgium and "male allies" of women ( here ) Ash Fowkes-Gajan on Venetian Social Rights through Patronage ( here ) August Vanschoubroek on Collective Action and the Struggle for Universal Suffrage in Belgium ( here ) Benjamin on Marenče The development of the Carniola Bar Association ( here ) Domen Bogdan on the Sokol association in Ljutomer ( here ) Emma Cornette on Children's Rights in 19th Century France ( here ) Ferdaousse Abdeljelil and Aude Froese on the Anzin Miners' Strike (...