The experience of the course “Roman bases of civil law” at the Law School of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Abstract

The paper details the development and structure of the course “Romanist Bases of Civil Law” at the PUCP Law School, designed to recover the formative focus on Roman Law. This course, mandatory from the first cycle of law school, provides students with a historical understanding of Roman institutions in relation to modern Civil Law. Its initial methodology focuses on the Peruvian Civil Code, followed by the analysis of Justinian's Institutions and, subsequently, of the French and German civil codes, promoting a systematic and temporal comparison. The topics covered include essential concepts such as person, family, property, contracts, and the legal act. Through this structure, the course aims for students to visualize the historical evolution of legal institutions, thus providing a comprehensive and contextualized perspective that highlights the validity of Roman principles in contemporary Peruvian law.