An insight into the older & more recent research may be obtained through the handbooks (e.g. H. Baltl, Österreichische Rechtsgeschichte, Graz 1982; K. Hoke, Österreichische und Deutsche Rechtsgeschichte, Wien 1992; H. Baltl, G. Kocher, M. Steppan, Österreichische Rechtsgeschichte, 12th ed. Graz 2011; S. Meder, Rechtsgeschichte: Eine Einführung, 5th ed., Köln – Weimar – Wien 2014). 

An overview of statutory sources in the particular lands of Austria was given by A. Wolf, Gesetzgebung in Europa 1100-1500. Zur Entstehung der Territorialstaaten, München 1996, pp. 109-112, 130-133, 136, 142-144, 148. A brief review of more recent research on constitutional history of Austria was delivered by K. Staudigl-Ciechowicz, Rechtshistorische Forschung zur österreichischen Verfassungsgeschichte im Zeitraum von 2000 bis 2016, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 11:2018, issue 1, 95-126.

General historical bibliography for Austria - the Österreichische Historische Bibliographie (ÖHB) - is availabe online. 

The most important source edition series for Austria are the "Fontes rerum Austriacarum", with their sub-series II containing sources of legal practice, and especially sub-series III (Fontes iuris) exclusively devoted to legal sources.

The most important journal of the legal-historical sub-discipline in Austria are the "Beiträge zur Rechtsgeschichte Österreichs".

There are also digital repositories gathering digitised manuscripts, as the Manuscripta & the Austrian National Library (ÖNB Digital).

Nota bene: Austria consists of several historical lands, most of which were separate dukedoms or marches in the past, and until now they have their own historiographic traditions. They were also parts of Kingdom of Germany and the Empire, which is why some editions, and secondary studies concerning present-day Austria may be researched through the means applicable also to Germany (e.g. the HRG or MGH, cf. in respective section below).  

General historical bibliography available online is the BGB-BHB, covering the years 1952-2008, and since 2009.

Bibliographies of older works on legal history in Belgium were delivered by a renowned comparative legal historian, J. Gillisen, and his collaborators: Bibliographie de l'histoire du droit des provinces belges, ed. J. Gillisen, 2 vols., Bruxelles 1986 [print of the original manuscript from 1965]; J. Gilissen, Belgique et Nord de la France. Brussels 1971 (Introduction bibliographique à l’histoire du droit et à l’ethnologie juridique, C/3).

The bibliography of legal history from the 1980s may be found in: Lopende rechtshistorische bibliografie van België. Jaargang 1980-1981, eds. P. de Win et al., "Mededelingen van de Koninklijke Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schone Kunsten van België" 1983, 129-156; Lopende rechtshistorische bibliografie van België. Jaargang 1981-1982, eds. P. de Win et al., "Mededelingen van de Koninklijke Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schone Kunsten van België" 1984, 81-138; Rechtshistorische bibliografie van België 1980-1985, ed. P. De Win, Brussels 1991 (Iuris Scripta Historica, vol 4). See also: P.L. Nève, Niederländische und Belgische rechtshistorische Literatur, "Zeitschrift für neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 2:1980, 66-81.

More recent bibliography: L. Winkel, Niederländische und Belgische rechtshistorische Literatur 1980-2002, "Zeitschrift für neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 26:2004, 84-101; W. Druwé, Legal Historical Research in Belgium (2015), "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 9:2016, Issue 2, 251-254; W. Druwé, Legal Historical Research in Belgium (2016), "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 10:2017, Issue 2, 363-367; W. Druwé, Legal Historical Research in Belgium (2017), "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 11:2018, Issue 2, 279-283; W. Druwé, Legal Historical Research in Belgium (2018), "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 12:2019, Issue 3, 429-433; W. Druwé, Belgische rechtshistorische Literatur seit 2004. Ein Überblick, "Zeitschrift für neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 41:2019, 121-134; J. Van Paemel, Legal History Research in Belgium (2020), "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 14:2021, Issue 3, 417-420; J. Van Paemel, Legal History Research in Belgium (2021), "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 15:2022, Issue 3, 481-484; J. Van Paemel, Legal History Research in Belgium (2022), "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 16:2023, Issue 3, 419-422.

A convenient introduction to the sources of older law in Belgium (useful also for students of the Netherlands and the French part of Flanders) was delivered by J. Gillisen (Introduction historique au droit, Bruxelles 1979, see especially the Chapter 1 of Part 2: Les sources du droit au bas moyen age et aux temps modernes, with helpful bibliographic notes). 

A useful online guide to manuscript collections of Wallonia & Brussels is the CICweb page.

Nota bene: see also under Netherlands.

The oldest Bulgarian legal sources were critically edited already in 1903 (Старобългарски правни паметници, part 1, ed. С.С. Бобчев, София 1903); the state of research on the monuments of law from the first and second Bulgarian Empire were presented in literature (i.a. Г. Петрова, Български средновековни правни паметници, "Научни трудове - Пловдивски университет >Паисий Хилендарски<, Книга 7, Обществени науки: Право", vol. 2:2001, pp. 69-99; Д. Наьденова, Правните паметници в Първото българско царство, "Историческо бъдеще" 9:2005, № 1–2, pp. 136–163).

Also general historical literature may be consulted, i.a., Х. Коларов, Средновековната българска държава (уредба, характеристика, отношения със съседните народи), Велико Тăрново 1977; И. Божилов, В. Гюзелев, История на Средновековна Бăлгария VII–XIV век, Софиа 1999; Бăлгарска национална история, vols 2-4, Велико Тăрново 2014-23. There are also handbooks concerning legal & constitutional history of Bulgaria in the Middle Ages, i.a. М.В. Андреев, Д. Ангелов Д., История на балгарскат даржава и права, vol. 1, 2nd ed., София 1959; В.Н. Златарски, Д.С. Ангелов, П.К. Петров, История на българската държава през средните векове, 2nd ed., Софя 1970-72; M. Андреев, Ф. Милкова, История на българската феодална държава и право, София 1993; Д. Токушев, История на българската средновековна държава и право, Софя 2009.

The bibliography of Bulgarian legal history from the 1940s to 1960s was presented by: M.V. Andreev in "Czasopismo Prawno-Historyczne" 20, 1958, issue 1, and in the "Revue historique de droit français et étranger" 1961.

A guide through the sources to legal history of Croatia is: D. Karbić, M. Karbić, The Laws and Customs of Medieval Croatia and Slavonia – a Guide to the Extant Sources, London 2013.

A relatively recent handbook of Croatian legal history, that might be helpful as an introduction to the research of the topic, is: D. Čepulo, Hrvatska pravna povijest u europskom kontekstu od srednjeg vijeka do suvremenog doba, Zagreb 2021 (especially parts 1-2), which attempts to study the legal history of Croatia as related to the history of surrounding areas. There is also a very useful "Student Manual for Croatian Legal History", prepared by the professors of the University of Zagreb, available on Academia.edu. General issues concerning the legal history of Croatia were presented in English in the Little Lexicon of Croatian Legal History.

The most crucial normative sources concerning legal history from Middle Ages & early modern period were published in the series "Monumenta historico-juridica Slavorum Meridionalium" (vols. 1-13, 1877-1979), containing, i.a., the statutes & laws of various Croatian, especially Dalmatine, cities & towns, and in the "Monumenta spectantia historiam Slavorum Meridionalium" series (there have been published, i.a., the resolutions of the Croatian Diet, the Sobor, from the years 1526-1630, as well as notary & court records from Dalmatian cities). Many sources were edited separately; many of them were listed in the Student Manual quoted above, see also A. Wolf, Gesetzgebung in Europa 1100-1500. Zur Entstehung der Territorialstaaten, München 1996, pp. 262-265; D. Pastović, F. Hameršak,  Experiences and Challenges of Editing and Publishing Primary Legal-Historical Sources in Croatia, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 7:2014, 496-498).

Old charters concerning Croatia may be found both in some volumes of the "Monumenta spectantia ad historiam Slavorum Meridionalium" series (especially vol. 7, containing the oldest documents), and in the "Codex Diplomaticus Regni Croatiae, Dalmatiae et Slavoniae" (vols. 1-18 concerning the years 502-1399 edited in 1874-1990, from 1998 followed by the "Supplementa" series). These editions contain charters concerning the Kingdom of Croatia, Dalmatia & Slavonia, while the documents from Istria may be found in the Codice diplomatico istriano, vols. 1-5, ed. P. Kandler, Trieste 1862–1865. Some documents concerning the coastline towns were also published in Serbian series, e.g. some of the sources from Dubrovnik in the Serbian series "Zbornik za istoriju, jezik i književnost srpskog naroda – odeljenje 3."

A bibliography of editions provided by the Yugoslav and then Croat Academies of Arts & Sciences may be found in: L. Ciban, Popis izdanja Jugoslavenske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti 1867–1985, vols. 1–2, Zagreb 1986–1988, A. Zrnić, Popis izdanja Hrvatske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti 1986–2000, Zagreb 2001, and T. Runjak, Popis izdanja Hrvatske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti 1986–2000 – dopune, Zagreb 2003.

There are also some interesting online resources available, e.g. the DUCAC project, publishing resolutions of governmental bodies of Dubrovnik concerning the urban fabric.

Nota bene: Croatia used to be a separate kingdom until 1102, later it was united with the Kingdom of Hungary, and from the early 15th cent. Dalmatia belonged to the Republic of Venice. Thus, some of the important materials concerning Croatian history may be also found in Hungarian & Italian archives & editions.

Bibliography of older Czech (& Czechoslovak) legal history may be reached through a general historical bibliography of C. Zibrt, Bibliografie česke historie, Praha 1904-1941,and  the bibliographies limited to this sub-discipline: J. Kapras, Literatura českých právních dějin, [Praha] 1918; Bibliography of Czechoslovak Legal Literature 1945-1958, Praha 1959; K. Kučera, K. Malý, Pravnehistoricka bibliografie, Praha 1975; and the reviews of K. Maly, V. Prochazka, V. Vaneček in "Czasopismo Prawno-Historyczne", vols. 8, 14, 19, 24 and "Revue historique de droit français et étranger" 1959, and K. Malý, Tschechoslowakische rechtshistorische Literatur (Länderbericht), "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 6:1984, 163–177.

More recent reviews of legal-historical research in Czechia: R. Petrás, D. Falada, Die tschechische rechtshistorische Literatur in den Jahren 1984 bis 2003, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 27:2005, issue 3-4, 229–253; J. Tauchen, Rechtshistorische Forschung in der Tschechischen Republik (2004–2019), "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 42:2020, issue 3-4, 265–291; A. Švecová, M. Laclavíková, I. Lanczová, Chronicle of Scholarly Events in Legal History and Roman Law Held in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic in 2019, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 13:2020, Issue 3, 403-406; A. Švecová, I. Lanczová, Chronicle of Scholarly Events in Legal History and Roman Law in the Slovak Republic and Czech Republic in 2020, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 14:2021, Issue 3, 421-424; A. Švecová, I. Lanczová, Chronicle of Scholarly Events in Legal History Held in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic in 2021, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 15:2022, Issue 3, 485-488; A. Švecová, I. Lanczová, Chronicle of Scholarly Events in Legal History Held in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic in 2022, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 16:2023, Issue 3, 441-446.

There is also a digitalised general historical bibliography.

General insight into the Czech legal-historical research, is provided by the most recent encyclopedic work (Encyklopedie českých právních dějin, vols. 1-24, Ostrava 2015-2023), and the handbooks, both older (J. Kapras, Právní dějiny zemí koruny české, vols. 1-2, Praha 1913; O. Peterka, Rechtsgeschichte der Böhmischen Länder in ihren Grundzügen dargestellt, vols. 1-2, Reichenberg 1923-1928; V. Vaneček, Prameny k dějinam statu a prava w Československu, Praha 1957; V. Vaněček, Dějiny státu a práva v Československu do roku 1945, 3rd ed., Praha 1976), and more recent (K. Malý, F. Sivák, K. Řezáčová, Dějiny státu a práva v českých zemích a na Slovensku do r. 1918, 2nd ed., Jinočany 1993; Z. Hledíková, J. Janák, J. Dobeš, Dějiny správy v českých zemích od počátků státu po současnost, 2nd ed., Praha 2007; F. Hoffmann, Středověké město v Čechách a na Moravě, 2nd ed. Praha 2009.). The more recent source editions were summarised by P. Krafl, Several Comments on Editions of Legal-Historical Sources Published in the Czech Republic after 1990, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 7:2014, issue 3, 507–516.

Bibliographic orientation in the topics concerning legal history is also facilitated by more recent monographic works, i.a.: Ad iustitiam et bonum commune: proměny zemského práva v českých zemích ve středověku a raném novověku, eds. L. Jan, D. Janiš et al., Brno 2010; Z. Hledíková, Úřad generálních vikářů pražského arcibiskupa v době předhusitské: ze správních dějin pražské arcidiecéze, Praha 1971; D. Janiš, Zemské soudnictví na Moravě vrcholného středověku, Brno 2013; J. Janišová, D. Janiš, Zemské zřízení Markrabství moravského z roku 1516: počátky kodifikace zemského práva na Moravě, Olomouc 2013; J. Janišová, D. Janiš, Moravská zemská zřízení a kodifikace zemského práva ve střední Evropě v 16. a na začátku 17. století, Praha 2016; J. Kejř, Vznik městského zřízení v českých zemích, Praha 1998; J. Kejř, Die mittelalterlichen Städte in den böhmischen Ländern: Gründung - Verfassung - Entwicklung, Köln - Weimar - Wien 2010; P. Kreuz, Postavení a působnost komorního soudu v soustavě českého zemského trestního soudnictví doby předbělohorské v letech 1526-1547, Praha 2000; J. Razim, Mezní právo a jeho rituály v době přemyslovské, Praha 2022; M. Starý, Přední klenot zemský: větší zemský soud království českého v době rudolfínské, Praha 2014; Vladislavské zřízení zemské a počátky ústavního zřízení v českých zemích (1500-1619), eds. D. Janiš, K. Malý, J. Pánek, Praha 2001.

There are monumental edtions of Bohemian legal sources concerning both land law & town law: the Codex Iuris Bohemici, and the Codex Iuris Municipalis, but despite that may sources were also edited separately; there are aso huge editions of charters & registers, as the Codex Diplomaticus Regni Bohemiae & the Regesta Bohemiae et Moraviae. Most of the older editions may be found in digitised form on the website of Centre for Medieval Studies in Prague (CMS). Among more recent series, there are also some that publish sources important from the viewpoint of legal historical research, e.g. the "Libri Civitatis".

A convenient overview of edited statutory sources from the Crown of St. Venceslas was provided by A. Wolf, Gesetzgebung in Europa 1100-1500. Zur Entstehung der Territorialstaaten, München 1996, pp. 275-290.

A very useful gateway to digital resources, especially medieval manuscripts, is the Manuscriptorium.

Some of the journals where legal-historical texts may be found: "Archiv Český" 1840-1944; "Sbornik věd pravních a statních", Praha 1900-1948; "Právněhistorické Studie", Praha 1955-.

Nota bene: at present, Czech Republic comprises of Bohemia, Moravia & part of Silesia. In the later Middle Ages & early modernity, the Crown of St. Venceslas included also whole Silesia & both Lusatias, which today are parts of Poland & Germany.

Older research results & bibliography may be accessed through handbooks: P.J. Jørgensen, Dansk Retshistorie, 4th ed., København 1969; M. Kjær, H. Vogt, En dansk retshistorie – fra middelalder til grundlov, 2nd ed., København 2023.

Some most important editions of normative sources: Danmarks gamle Købstadslovgivning, vols. I-V, ed. E. Kroman, København 1951-61 (municipal law), Danmarks gamle landskabslove med kirkelovene, eds. J. Brøndum-Nielsen, P.J. Jørgensen, København 1933-1961 (land & church law); Danmarks gamle Love paa Nutidsdansk, eds. E. Kroman, S. Iuul, vols. 1-3, København 1945-48 (translations into current Danish).

There is also a quite recent overview of sources of law from all the Nordic countries: D. Strauch, Mittelalterliches nordisches Recht bis 1500: Eine Quellenkunde, DeGruyter 2011 (see also an overview of the same author here). A convenient overview concerning the legislation & statutory sources from Denmark has been provided by A. Wolf, Gesetzgebung in Europa 1100-1500. Zur Entstehung der Territorialstaaten, München 1996, pp. 319-324. See also: Å. Modéer Kjel, Nordische rechtshistorische Literatur, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 1:1979, 52–66; L. Björne, Nordische rechtsgeschichtliche Literatur in den achtziger und neunziger Jahren – eine Übersicht, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 22:2000, issue 3-4, 239–254; H. Pihlajamäki, Legal History in the Nordic Countries, Clio@Themis [Online], 1:2009, URL: http://journals.openedition.org/cliothemis/1974 (accessed on 20 September 2024).

A current historical bibliography is the Dansk Historisk Bibliografi, most of which may be found online. A useful research tool is the webpage of the Royal Danish Library, providing access to extensive bibliographic databases, digital resources & a search tool for their own non-digitised collections.

Nota bene: some of the areas that used to be parts of the Kingdom of Denmark now belong to neighbouring states (e.g. Scania to Sweden & Schleswig to Germany), please keep that in mind while searching for respective sources.

A useful guide to English Legal History was prepared by the Duke University School of Law, and is available online here and here; another bibliographic database has been provided by the University of South California here. There are also other useful resources online, i.a. an index and paraphrase of printed year book reports from medieval English legal history, 1268-1535, compiled by Professor David J. Seipp for the Boston University School of Law, the 130 volumes of yearbooks, reports, cases, notebooks published by Selden Society (1887-2023), and two important works of English lawyers digitalised: De Legibus Et Consuetudinibus Angliæ of Henry Bracton by Harvard Law School Library, and The Doctor and Student of Christopher St. Germain (1518). For other online resources, see our Repositories section.

In search for the bibliography concerning older sources of English legal history, it would be advisable to use bibliographies (A Legal Bibliography of the British Commonwealth of Nations, vol. 1: English Law to 1800, eds. W.H. Maxwell, L.F. Maxwell, 2nd ed., London 1955; G.R. Elton, Modern Historians on British History, 1485-1945. A critical bibliography, 1945-1969, London 1970; Ch. Gross, The Sources and Literature of English History from the earliest times to about 1485, London 1900; M. Levine, Tudor England 1485-1603, Cambridge 1968 [a bibliography]; C. Read, Bibliography of British History: Tudor Period, 1485-1603, 2nd ed., Oxford 1959) and handbooks (The Oxford History of the Laws of England, ed. J.H. Baker, vols. 1, 2, 6, Oxford 2003-2012; J. Baker, Introduction to English Legal History, 5th ed., Oxford 2019; J. Baker, Baker and Milsom Sources of English Legal History: Private Law to 1750, 2nd ed., Oxford 2019; W.S. Holdsworth, A History of English Law, vols. 1-17, London 1972-1992 [up to 1600: vols. 1-9]; D.J. Ibbetson, A Historical Introduction to the Law of Obligations, Oxford 2001; J.H. Langbein, R. Lettow Lerner, B.P. Smith, History of the common law: the development of Anglo-American legal institutions, New York 2009; F.W. Maitland, The Forms of Action at Common Law, Cambridge 1962; F. Pollock, F.W. Maitland, The history of English law before the time of Edward I, vols.1-2, Cambridge 1968; R. Sandberg, A historical introduction to English Law: genesis of the Common Law, Cambridge 2023). See also: T.G. Watkin, Legal History in England and Wales, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 21:1999, 436–450; D. Ibbetson, English Legal History 1999–2011: A Select Bibliography, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 34:2012, issue 3-4, 263–272.

There are also monographs of more general character that may be helpful in this respect (i.a. J. Baker, Collected Papers on English Legal History, Cambridge 2013; P. Brand, Kings, Barons and Justices: The Making and Enforcement of Legislation in Thirteenth-Century England, Cambridge 2003; P. Brand, The Making of the Common Law, London 1992; English Legal History and Its Sources: Essays in Honour of Sir John Baker, eds. D.J. Ibbetson, N. Jones, N. Ramsay, Cambridge 2019; Laws, Lawyers and Texts: Studies in Medieval Legal History in Honour of Paul Brand, eds. S. Jenks, J. Rose, C. Whittick, Leiden 2012; S.F.C. Milsom, A Natural History of the Common Law, New York 2003).

An access to multiply sources online may be gained through several gateways, among which there is the Anglo-American Legal Tradition, containing all records from the Common law courts and the Chancery, and the other services listed in the "External Resources" tab, in the Repositories section.

Texts concerning legal-historical matters may be found, i.a., in the following journals: "The English Historical Review", "The Journal of Legal History", "The Law Quaterly Review", "Law and History Review".

A gateway to archival resources in the UK is being provided by the Archives Hub. Further digital services were listed in the Repositories section of the "External Resources" tab.

Older bibliography may be retrieved from, i.a.: Bibliographical Introduction to Legal History, ed. J. Gilissen, Bruxelles 1963; Introduction bibliographique a l’histoire du droit et d’ethnologie juridique, ed. J. Gilissen, Bruxelles 1966-68, vols. B-D; J. Gilissen, Introduction historique au droit, vol. 1: Les sources du droit, vol. 2: Elements d'histoire du droit prive, 3rd ed., Bruxelles 1968; Althusius - Bibliographie. Bibliographie zur politischen Ideengeschichte und Staatslehre, zum Staatsrecht und Verfassungsgeschichte des 16. bis 18. Jahrhunderts, eds. von H.U. Scupin, U. Scheuner, D. Wyduckel, Berlin 1973; Handbuch der Quellen und Literatur der neueren europäischen Privatrechtsgeschichte, ed. H. Coing, vols. 1-2, München 1973-77; H. Hattenhauer, Europaische Rechtsgeschichte, Hamburg 1992; O.F. Robinson, O. Fergus, W.M. Gordon, European Legal History, 2nd ed., London 1994; A. Wolf, Gesetzgebung in Europa 1100-1500. Zur Entstehung der Territorialstaaten, München 1996.

A helpful encyclopedic work is the "Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History", edited by S.N. Katz; also some encyclopedaedias & dictionaries of a more general character or a narrower range may be helpful, e.g. the "The Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages" series or the "Handwörterbuch zur deutschen Rechtsgeschichte" (HRG). Other useful general works are: O.F. Robinson, T.D. Fergus, W.M. Gordon, European Legal History. Sources and Institutions, 3rd ed., Oxford 2005; J. Gordley, Foundations of Private Law. Property, Tort, Contract, Unjust Enrichment, Oxford 2006; The Oxford Handbook of European Legal History, eds. H. Pihlajamäki, M. D. Dubber, M. Godfrey, Oxford 2018. Practical introduction into learned law of the Middle Ages was delivered by H. Dondorp and E.J.H. Schrage, The Sources of Medieval Learned Law, in: The Creation of the Ius Commune: From Casus to Regula, ed. J.W. Cairns, Edinburgh 2010, pp. 7-56. 

A useful, recent overview of the problems & studies concerning sources of medieval law is our FONTES Handbook. Short studies on particular groups of sources may be found in the Handbook of Medieval Studies, ed. A. Classen, vols. 1-3, Berlin - NY - Boston 2010, and some genres & kinds of sources interesting from the viewpoint of legal history have been discussed in the volumes of the Brepols series Typologie des sources du Moyen Age occidental.

Gateways to digital resources may be found in our platform, in the Repositories section, and a list of legal-historical journals may be found here.

General overview of legal history of medieval and early modern France may be obtained through respective publications concerning legal & constitutional history of those periods, i.a. J.-M. Carbasse, Droits et justice du Moyen Âge, Paris 2017; A. Rigaudière, Histoire du droit et des institutions dans la France médiévale et moderne, 5th ed. Paris 2018. Also, the handbooks concerning the history of particular branches of law contain information on its development in the Middle Ages & early modern period (e.g. J.-M. Carbasse, P. Vielfaure, Histoire du droit pénal et de la justice criminelle, 3rd ed., Paris 2014; J. Bart, Histoire du droit privé de la chute de l'Empire romain au XIXe siècle, 2nd ed., Paris 2009; E. Chevreau, Y. Mausen, C. Bouglé-Le Roux, Histoire du droit des obligations, 2nd ed., Paris 2011; M.-H. Renault, Histoire du droit de la propriété, Paris 2004).

There are also several specialised dictionaries concerning legal history & related topics (including biographies of famous lawyers, important legal works, legal maxims & adages, etc.), i.a.: H. Roland, L. Boyer, Locutions latines du droit français, 4th ed., Paris 1998; H. Roland, L. Boyer, Adages du droit français, 4th ed., Paris 1999; Dictionnaire d’histoire du droit et des institutions publiques, eds. A. Babot, A. Bocaud-Maitre, Ph. Delaigue, Paris 2002; Y. Jeanclos, Dictionnaire de droit criminel et pénal. Dimension historique, Paris 2010; Dictionnaire historique des juristes français (XIIe– XXe siècle), eds. P. Arabeyre, J.-L. Halperin, J. Krynen, 2nd ed., Paris 2015; Dictionnaire du français médiéval, eds. T, Matsumura, M. Zink, Paris 2015; J. Hilaire, Adages et maximes du droit français, 2nd ed., Paris 2015; Dictionnaire des expressions juridiques, ed. H. Roland, 5th ed., Paris 2020; Dictionnaire du vocabulaire juridique, ed. R. Cabrillac, 15th ed., Paris 2024).

Older works on legal history may be retrieved from specialised bibliographies: G. Lepointe, A. Vandenbossche, Elements de bibliographie sur des Institutions et des Faits Sociaux (987-1875), Paris 1958; G. Lepointe et al., Bibliographie en langue française d'histoire du droit, Paris 1961-2005.

Some more recent overviews of legal-historical research & literature concerning France: J. Poumarede, Rechtshistorie in Frankreich, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 3:1981, 50–63; J.-L. Halpérin, Rechtsgeschichte in Frankreich (1982-2003), "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 26:2004, issue 3-4, 282-291; P.-O. Rigaudeau, Chronicle of Research in Legal and Constitutional History in France in 2016, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 10:2017, issue 2, 371-374; P.-O. Rigaudeau, Chronicle of research in legal and constitutional history in France in 2017, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 11:2018, issue 2, 285-289; P.-O. Rigaudeau, Chronicle of Research in Legal and Constitutional History in France in 2018, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 12:2019, issue 3, 435-439; P.-O. Rigaudeau, Chronicle of Research in Legal and Constitutional History in France in 2019, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 13:2020, issue 3, 389-392; P.-O. Rigaudeau, Chronicle of Research in Legal and Constitutional History in France in 2020, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 14:2021, issue 3, 425-427.

Bibliographic search may be enhanced with the use of the on-line bibliography of Francophone legal history (bibliography d'histoire du droit en langue française) and the Catalogue collectif de France. When searching for archival resources, the webpage of France Archives might be supportive, and the most important repository of resources from French public libraries & other institutions is the Gallica portal. 

When searching for statutory sources, especially Royal ordonnances, one may resort to the extensive editions of the laws of the Ancien régime: Ordonnances des rois de France de la troisieme race recueillies par ordre chronologique, vols. 1-21, eds. E. de Lauriere et al., Paris 1723-1849, repr. 1967 1968; Recueil général des anciennes lois françaises: depuis l'an 420 jusqu'à la révolution de 1789, vols. 1-29, eds. A. lsenbert et al., Paris 1822-1833; see also other editions referenced by A. Wolf, Gesetzgebung in Europa 1100-1500. Zur Entstehung der Territorialstaaten, München 1996, pp. 148-193. There is also a general guide to the judicial legacy of the Ancien régime: Guide des recherches dans les fonds judiciaires de l'Ancien Régime, Paris 1958. See also the chapter of Florent Garnier in our FONTES Handbook.

A corpus of the customary laws of France (mostly its northern part, the pays de coutume) is the Nouveau coutumier général ou corps des coutumes générales et particulières de France et des provinces, ed. Ch.A. Bourdot de Richebourg, 4 vols., Paris 1724; a modern bibliography of coutumes published before the French Revolution was delivered by A. Gouron, O. Terrin, Bibliographie des coutumes de France. Editions antérieures à la Révolution, Geneve 1975.

A practical gateway to on-line resources concerning the legal history of France is the Portail Numerique de l'Histoire du Droit. More on-line services which could support the search for editions, manuscripts & publications concerning the legal history of France may be found in the Repositories section of our platform, especially in the respective paragraph of "General Collections" sub-section, devoted to France.

The bibliographies of older works on legal history were published by E.H. Costa (Bibliographie der Deutschen Rechtsgeschichte, Braunschweig 1858), H. Planitz & T. Buyken (Bibliographie zur deutschen Rechtsgeschichte, vols. 1-2, Frankfurt/Main) in 1952, and by G. Köbler in 1969. There are also other useful historical bibliographies (e.g., Bibliographie zur Städtegeschichte Deutschlands, ed. E. Keyser, Köln 1969; Dahlmann-Waitz, Quellenkunde der deutschen Geschichte. Bibliographie der Quellen und der Literatur zur deutschen Geschichte, eds. H. Heimpel, H. Geuss, 1969-1992).

There are many handbooks of legal history of Germany, i.a. Karl Kroeschell, Deutsche Rechtsgeschichte, Band 1: Bis 1250, 13th ed., Köln 2008; K. Kroeschell, A. Cordes, K. Nehlsen-von Stryk, Deutsche Rechtsgeschichte, Band 2: 1250-1650, 9th. ed., Köln 2008. General works concerning legal-historical sources & their bibliography may be found in the list assembled by Professor Ulrike Müßig, in the section 1.4; also huge encyclopaedic works may be helpful here, as the "Handwörterbuch zur deutschen Rechtsgeschichte" (HRG), the "Lexikon des Mittelalters" (LexMA), and the "Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde". There is also a very useful online guide to legal historical resources, prepared on behalt of CLIO. An overview on statutory sources in the former Holy Roman Empire [of the German Nation] was given by A. Wolf, Gesetzgebung in Europa 1100-1500. Zur Entstehung der Territorialstaaten, München 1996, pp. 96-148.

The main edition series is, of course, the "Monumenta Germaniae Historica", especially its legal sub-series (MGH Leges) containing normative sources. The resolutions of the Reichstag (Deutsche Reichstagakten) have been edited by the Historical Commission in Munich in cooperation with other German & Austrian institutions. There are also other important edition series, e.g. the "Quellen und Forschungen zur höchsten Gerichtsbarkeit im Alten Reich".  

The most influential German journal in the field has been the Zeitschrift für Rechtsgeschichte (1861-1878), later from 1880 on "Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung fur Rechtsgeschichte", with its 3 series: Germanistische, Romanistische, Kanonische Abteilung (ZRG); other journals were listed here, including the "Rechtsgeschichte", published by the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory in Frankfurt/Main, for many years the main institutional pillar of the subdiscipline in Germany. 

Concerning the digitised resources, an extremely important institution is the digitalisation centre in Munich (MDZ). A very useful bibliographic base with ca. 3 mln. entries is the database of the Regesta Imperii (RI). Medieval narrative sources may be searched for through the Geschichtsquellen des deutschen Mittelalters. Numerous services providing access to online resources concerning Germany have been listed in the External Resources/Repositories section.

Nota bene: Because of the complexity of German history, many sources of crucial importance should be searched for in archives, libraries & databases functioning in particular federal lands.

A general synthesis of the development of constitution and law in Hungarian history may be found in: Die Entwicklung der Verfassung und des Rechts in Ungarn, ed. G. Mathé, Budapest 2017; historical introduction to the period of the Árpád Dynasty was delivered in English by A. Zsoldos, The Árpáds and their people: an introduction to the history of Hungary from cca. 900 to 1301, Budapest 2020.

There are also several interesting monographs concerning constitutional & legal issues, both in English or German, e.g. J.M. Bak, Königtum und Stände in Ungarn im 14.-16. Jahrhundert, Wiesbaden 1973; A. Horváth, Die privatrechtliche und strafrechtliche Verantwortung in dem mittelalterlichen Ungarn, 2nd ed., Budapest 2005; M. Rady, Customary law in Hungary: courts, texts and the Tripartitum, Oxford 2015, and in Hungarian, e.g. G. Béli, Városi szokásjog az Ars Notaria alapján, Pécs 2014 (concerning municipal laws based upon the ars notaria); G. Bónis, A jogtudó értelmiség a Mohács előtti Magyarországon, Budapest 1971 (concerning educated lawyers in medieval Hungary); G. Bónis, Középkori jogunk elemei: római jog - kánonjog - szokásjog, Budapest 1972 (concerning Roman Law, Canon Law, Customary Law as key elements of legal culture of medieval Hungary); P. Engel, Honor, vár, ispánság: válogatott tanulmányok, Budapest 2003 (concerning the castles, offices and counties); M. Jánosi, Törvényalkotás Magyarországon a korai Árpád-korban, Szeged 1996 (concerning the legislation of early Árpád period); L. Komáromi, A bizánci hatás kérdése a középkori magyar jogban és a magyarországi egyházjogban, Budapest 2013 (concerning Byzantine influences on Hungarian law); T. Szőcs, A nádori intézmény korai története: 1000-1342, Budapest 2014 (on the Palatines of Hungary).

Overviews of more recent developments in legal history of Hungary were presented by: T. Kecskéd, Annual Report on Legal History from Hungary 2015, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 9:2016, issue 2, 259-261; M. Pétervári, Brief Report on the Scientific Events of Legal and Constitutional History in Hungary 2016, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 10:2017, issue 2, 387-392; M. Pétervári, Events in the Sphere of the study of Hungarian Legal and Constitutional History in 2017, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 11:2018, 297-304; M. Pétervári, Events and Books in the Sphere of the Study of Legal and Constitutional History in Hungary in 2018, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 12:2019, issue 3, 459-468; B. Krusóczki, Events and Books in the Sphere of the Study of Legal and Constitutional History in Hungary in 2019, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 13:2020, Issue 3, 393-401; B. Rigó, Events and Books in the Sphere of the Study of Legal and Constitutional History in Hungary in 2020–2021 – A Historiographic Outline, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 15:2022, issue 3, 465-479; B. Rigó, Events, Books and Papers in Hungarian Legal History in 2022: A Historiographic Overview, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 16:2023, Issue 3, 423-438.

There is a convenient modern edition of Hungarian normative sources, available online & endowed with English translation: Decreta Regni Mediaevalis Hungariae (DRMH) vols. 1-5, ed. J.M. Bak et al., Idyllwild (California), 2nd ed., 1999-2013. The edition contains most important normative material from the Middle Ages up to the end of the Jagellon era (1526). Broader scope of normative sources may be found in some older editions, e.g. for various periods the Magyar Törvénytár: Codex Juris Hungarici, eds. M. Dezső et al., Budapest 1896 sqq; for the Árpádian era: Rerum Hungaricarum monumenta Arpadiana, ed. S.L. Endlicher, Sankt Gallen 1849; for the Angevin, Luxembourg and Corvinian periods: Decreta regni Hungariae. Gesetze and Verordnungen Ungarns 1301–1457, eds. G. Bónis, V. Bácskai, Budapest 1976; Decreta regni Hungariae. Gesetze and Verordnungen Ungarns 1458–1490, eds. G. Bónis, G. Érszegi, Z. Teke, Budapest 1989. In the fifth volume of the DRMH there is the edition of the opus magnum of Hungarian jurisprudence, the Tripartitum von Isztvan Werbőczy (first published in 1517). See also the overview of edited statutory sources from the former Kingdom of Hungary given by A. Wolf, Gesetzgebung in Europa 1100-1500. Zur Entstehung der Territorialstaaten, München 1996, pp. 265-275.

Parliamentary acts from the years 1526-1601 may be found in the edition Magyar országgyűlési emlékek / Monumenta comitialia regni Hungariae, eds. V. Fraknói, A. Károlyi [8 vols.], Budapest 1874-1885.

The oldest documents concerning the history of Hungary may be found in a relatively new editions: Diplomata Hungariae Antiquissima: accedunt epistolae et acta ad historiam Hungariae pertinentia: Ab anno 1000 usque ad annum 1131, eds. Ge. Györffy, J.B. Borsa, F.L. Hervay et al., Budapest 1992; Írott források az 1050-1116 közötti magyar történelemről, eds. F. Makk Ferenc, G. Thoroczkay, Szeged 2006; Írott források az 1116-1205 közötti magyar történelemről, ed. G. Thoroczkay, Szeged 2018.

Rich diplomatic material was edited in the Codex diplomaticus Hungariae ecclesiasticus ac civilis, ed. G. Fejér, Budae 1829-1844, which is at present available online, and in the "Monumenta Hungariae Historica 1: Diplomataria" series (Pest 1857 - Budapest 1948); see also editions & registers of documents of the Kings of Hungary: from the Árpád dynasty (Árpádkori új okmánytár / Codex Diplomaticus Arpadianus Continuatus [5 vols], ed. G. Wenzel, Budapest 1867-1873; Iz Arpád-házi királyok okleveleinek kritikai jegyzéke / Regesta regum stirpis Arpadianae critico-diplomatica, vols. 1-2: 1001-1290, eds. I. Szentpétery, I. Borsa, Budapest 1923-1961); from the House of Anjou (Anjoukori okmánytár / Codex Diplomaticus Hungaricus Andegavensis, vols. 1-7, Budapest 1878-1920; Anjou-kori oklevéltár / Documenta res Hungaricas tempore regum Andegavensium illustrantia: 1301-1387, vols. I-LII, eds. J Kristó et al., Budapest-Szeged 1990-2023); and the registers of documents from the reign of Sigismund of Luxembourg (Zsigmondkori oklevéltár, vols. 1-14, 1387-1427, Budapest 1951-2020). There are also other relevant diplomatic editions of not only Royal charters, letters & diplomas, i.a. Árpád-kori és Anjou-kori levelek: XI-XIV. század, eds. L. Makkai, L. Mezey, Budapest 1960; Az Árpád-kori nádorok és helyetteseik okleveleinek kritikai jegyzéke / Regesta palatinorum et vices gerentium tempore regum stirpis Arpadianae critico-diplomatica, ed. T. Szőcs, Budapest 2012. Papal documents may be found in the Monumenta Vaticana historiam regni Hungariæ illustrantia, 1884-1909.

There are also editions of municipal laws, e.g. Das Ofner Stadtrecht, eine deutschsprachige Rechtssammlung des 15. Jahrhunderts aus Ungarn, ed. K. Mollay, Budapest 1959; Buda város jogkönyve, eds. L. Blazovich, J. Schmidt József, Szeged 2001; the synthesis & bibliography of the municipal law, and especially Magdeburg Law in Hungary was given by K. Gőnczi, Ungarisches Stadtrecht aus europäischer Sicht, Frankfurt/Main 1997, and K. Gőnczi, W. Carls, Sächsich-magdeburgisches Recht in Ungarn und Rumänien, Berlin-Boston 2013.

Several digital libraries & similar services from Hungary are listed here.

Ireland is a very special case in European legal history, as this land for a long time enjoyed their legal system of pre-feudal type (the Brehon Law), which was only gradually extinguished by the advance of English Common Law accompanying the English conquest of the island.

The texts describing early Irish legal customs are being preserved in various collections in Ireland (especially the Trinity College in Dublin) and England (i.a., the British Library & Bodleian Library). Their most recent edition is the Corpus Iuris Hibernici, ed. D.A. Binchy, Dublin 1963-1978 (see also L. Breatnach, A companion to the Corpus Iuris Hibernici, Dublin 2005). The older corpus of legal texts of early Irish Law was published in the years 1865-1901 (The Ancient Laws and Institutes of Ireland, on behalf of the Brehon Law Commission, ed. W.N. Hancock, T. O'Mahony et al.). See also: J.T. Ball, Historical Review of the Legislative Systems Operative in Ireland 1172-1800, London 1888; F. Kelly, A guide to early Irish law, Dublin 1988 and later reprints.

There are also several editions of statutory sources promulgated for Ireland under English rule. The basic old collection is The Statutes of Ireland, ed. R. Bolton, Dublin 1621 (includes original texts of statutes from the years 1310-1612 with English translations). Further editions of statutory sources of Anglo-Irish Law: Statutes and Ordinances and Acts of the Parliament of Ireland I (1204-1421), ed. H.F. Berry, Dublin 1907; Statute Rolls of the Parliament of Ireland II (1427-1460), ed. H.F. Berry, Dublin 1910; Statute Rolls of the Parliament of Ireland III (1462- 1472), ed. H.F. Berry, Dublin 1914; Statute Rolls of the Parliament of Ireland IV (1472-1482), ed. J.F. Morrisey, Dublin 1939; The Bills and Statutes of the Irish Parliament of Henry VII and VIII, ed. D.B. Quinn, "Analecta Hibernica" 10:1941, pp. 71-169; The Statutes Revised, Northern Ireland, I.1: Parliament Ireland 1310-1800, I.2: Parliaments England and Great Britain 1226-1800, Belfast 1956 (contains the laws still in force); Irish Historical Documents 1172-1922, eds. E. Curtis, R.B. McDowell, New York/London 1968 (English translations). See also Historie and Municipal Documents of Ireland 1172-1320, ed. J.T. Gilbert, London 1870 (municipal law).

The largest repository of old Irish manuscripts is the ISOS (Irish Script on Screen) developed by the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies; another important online resource is the Digital Repository of Ireland; some translations of Old Irish texts are there in the CELT (Corpus of Electronic Texts).

The study of Italian legal history may begin with handbooks, which are quite numerous, i.a.: F. Calasso, Medioevo del diritto, I, Le fonti, Milano 1954; E. Cortese, Il diritto nella storia medievale (I-II), Roma 1995; E. Cortese, Le grandi linee della storia giuridica medievale, Roma 2000; A.M. Hespanha, La cultura giuridica europea, Bologna 2013; M. Bellomo, L’Europa del diritto comune, Roma 2014; P. Grossi, L’Europa del diritto, Roma-Bari 2016; A. Padoa-Schioppa, Storia del diritto in Europa, Bologna 2016; M. Ascheri, I diritti del medioevo italiano (Secoli XI–XV), Roma 2022.

It is also adviseable to resort to further monographs of general character, e.g.: F. Calasso, Introduzione al diritto comune, Milano 1970; F. Calasso, Gli ordinamenti giuridici del rinascimento medievale, Milano 1949; E. Cortese, Il rinascimento giuridico medievale, Roma 1996; E. Conte, Diritto comune. Storia e storiografia di un sistema dinamico, Bologna 2009.

General overviews of legal-historical research in Italy: B. Sordi, Recent Studies of Public Law History in Italy (1992–2005), "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 29:2007, issue 3-4, 260–276; P. Alvazzi del Frate, L’historiographie juridique en Italie, Clio@Themis [Online], 1:2009, URL: http://journals.openedition.org/cliothemis/1972 (connection on 20 September 2024); I. Biriocchi, Neuere Arbeiten zur Privatrechtsgeschichte in Italien, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 33:2011, issue 1-2, 42-72; L. Lacchè, Italian Legal History: a survey of recent trends and themes (2006–2017), "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 40:2018, issue 3-4, 280–295.

One of the most important directions in Italian legal history are the studies concerning the municipal statutes. A crucial monograph on that topic was delivered by M. Sbriccoli, L’interpretazione dello statuto. Contributo allo studio della funzione dei giuristi nell’età comunale, Milano 1969; there are also many editions (i.a., Statuti inediti della Citta di Pisa dal XII al XIV sec., Firenze 1854; Codex Juris Municipalis Siciliae, ed. O. Hartwig, Göttingen 1867; Corpus statutorum Italicorum, Milano 1914; Statuti della Provincia Romana, Roma 1910; further bibliographic hints to the topic may be found on the Rechtsgeschiedenis blog; see also the chapter of Sandro Notari in our FONTES Handbook).

There are several useful digital services which may help in bibliographic queries, i.a. the website of the Library of the Italian Senate, the Digital Library of Italy, or the Digitised Historical Catalogues.

Among the digital repositories & tools available online there are several which may be supportive for students of old manuscripts, e.g. the ManusOnline database, the Mirabile website, and the TRAME service (for more details, please consult our Repositories section).

Among the most important journals which provide legal-historical content there are the “Rivista di Storia del Diritto Italiano”, “Rivista Internazionale di Diritto Comune”, and the “Quaderni Fiorentini per la Storia del Pensiero Giuridico”.

Nota bene: because of interwined histories & entangled fates of Italy and Germany there are editions of both statutory sources and charters concerning Italy in the series published in Germany, especially in the Leges and Diplomata sub-series of the Monumenta Germaniae Historica.

Older bibliography may be found in: L.J. v. Oppen, J.C. Sasse, Nederlandsche rechtsliteratur, vols. 1-2, La Haye 1884-1885; Repertorium bibliographicum institutorum et solidatarum iuris historiae, 2nd ed., ed. R. Feenstra, Leyde 1980. See also: P.L. Nève, Niederländische und Belgische rechtshistorische Literatur, "Zeitschrift für neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 2:1980, 66-81; L. Winkel, Niederländische und Belgische rechtshistorische Literatur 1980-2002, "Zeitschrift für neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 26:2004, 84-101; W. Druwé, Belgische rechtshistorische Literatur seit 2004. Ein Überblick, "Zeitschrift für neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 41:2019, 121-134.

An online-gateway to various resources concerning the Netherlands (and, to some extent, also Belgium) may be found on the Rechtsgeschiedenis Blog and the Rechtshistorie.nl.

There are many useful online services providing access to manuscripts, among which especially the Bibliotheca Neerlandica Manuscripta, the Medieval Manuscripts in Dutch Collections, & the Luxury Bound must be mentioned.

The most prestigious journal for legal history in the Netherlands is the "Tijdschrift voor Rechtsgeschiedenis", 1918-;

Nota bene: see also under Belgium.

Older research results & bibliography may be obtained through handbooks & synthetic works, e.g. F. Brandt, Forelæsninger over den norske retshistorie, vols. 1-2, Christiania 1880-83; A. Taranger, Udsigt overden Norske Rets Historie, vols. 1-2, 2nd ed., Oslo 1935; K. Lehmann, Abhandlungen zur germanischen, insbesondere nordischen Rechtsgeschichte, Berlin 1880; L.B. Orfield, The Growth of Scandinavian Law, Philadelphia 1953.

There is also a quite recent overview of sources of law from all the Nordic countries: D. Strauch, Mittelalterliches nordisches Recht bis 1500: Eine Quellenkunde, DeGruyter 2011 (see also an overview of the same author here). See also: Å. Modéer Kjel, Nordische rechtshistorische Literatur, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 1:1979, 52–66; L. Björne, Nordische rechtsgeschichtliche Literatur in den achtziger und neunziger Jahren – eine Übersicht, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 22:2000, issue 3-4, 239–254; H. Pihlajamäki, Legal History in the Nordic Countries, Clio@Themis [Online], 1:2009, URL: http://journals.openedition.org/cliothemis/1974 (accessed on 20 September 2024). A convenient overview of legislation & statutory sources from Norway has been provided by A. Wolf, Gesetzgebung in Europa 1100-1500. Zur Entstehung der Territorialstaaten, München 1996, pp. 325-332. 

The most important edition series of normative sources are as follows: Norges gamle Love indtil 1387, vols. 1-3, eds. R. Keyser, P.A. Munch, Christiania 1846-1849, vol. IV ed. G. Storm, Christiania 1885, vol. 5 eds. G. Storm, E. Hertzberg, Christiania 1895; Norges gamle Love anden Raekke: 1388-1604, vol. 1 (1388-1447) ed. A. Taranger, Christiania 1912, vol. 2 (1448-1482) ed. O.A. Johnsen, O Kolsrud, A. Taranger, Christiania/Oslo 1914-1934, vol. 3 (1483—1513) ed. G.A. Blom, Oslo 1966. .

The charters concerning Norway may be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum (vols. 1-23, 1848-2023), containing  transcriptions of approx. 20 000 documents related to Norway from 1050 through 1590 AD, which is available for digital search through the Dokumentasjons-prosjektet gateway.

The Archival Portal offers access to collections of Norwegian archives.

General view on the legal-historical research in Poland may be obtained through the lecture of handbooks, e.g. the huge multi-authored synthesis ed. by Juliusz Bardach (vos. 1-2, Warszawa 1964, 1966), and more recent handbooks of Professors Stanisław Płaza (Historia prawa w Polsce na tle porównawczym, cz. I: X - XVIII w., Kraków 1997, 2002) & Wacław Uruszczak (Historia państwa i prawa polskiego 966-1795, 4th ed., Warszawa 2021). The bibliographies of the works published in the years 1926-1947 were prepared by K. Koranyi & J. Koranyiowa in 4 volumes (Lwów 1939, Warszawa 1953, 1959), and detailed current bibliography of legal history of Poland from 1950s up to nowadays has been published in the journal "Czasopismo Prawno-Historyczne".

There are also general historical bibliographies (including the "Bibliografia Historii Polski" series); medieval tractates may be found in: J. Kaliszuk, A. Pieniądz, P. Węcowski, K. Skwierczyński, Clavis scriptorum et operum Medii Aevi Poloniae, Kraków 2019; other edited sources from the later Middle Ages were listed in: Bibliografia źródeł drukowanych do dziejów Polski w epoce pierwszych Jagiellonów (1385-1506), eds. P. Chojnacki, J. Kaliszuk, H. Rajfura, P. Szwedo-Kiełczewska, P. Węcowski, Warszawa 2024 (Folia Jagellonica: Fontes, vol. 23), especially in Chapters VI (statutory sources), VII (charters & letters), VIII (court books of records) & IX (fiscal sources).

The most important series in which legal sources from the Middle Ages & early modernity were published before WWII were the "Starodawne Prawa Polskiego Pomniki", and the "Archiwum Komisji Prawniczej". These were replaced after 1945 by the series "Pomniki Prawa Polskiego" which is being published up to now; there are also some other series, e.g. the Fontes Iuris Polonici or the Volumina Constitutionum.

Editions of charters are being prepared mostly on a territorial basis, e.g. the two series of "Kodeks Dyplomatyczny Wielkopolski" for Greater Poland, and the "Kodeks Dyplomatyczny Małopolski" and "Zbiór Dokumentów Małopolskich" for Lesser Poland; there are also separate diplomataries of particular bishoprics & monasteries.

There are several convenient on-line gateways to archival sources from the Polish state archives (the szukajwarchiwach service), and other institutions (Federation of Digital Libraries). There is also an on-line repository of sources of law (the IURA service).

Nota bene: especially northern & western parts of Poland used to have their own historical fates, separate from the Kingdom of Poland, yet in the Middle Ages & early modern period, thereforesome data concerning them should be searched for on more local basis or including also publications & archival resources from other countries, especially Germany.

Preliminary orientation in the problems of Portuguese legal-historical research is possible through the handbooks, i.a., R. de Albuquerque, M. de Albuquerque, História do Direito Português, vol. 1 (1140-1415), 10th ed., Lisboa 1999; M.J. de Almeida Costa, História do Direito Português, 5th. ed., Coimbra 2018.

A convenient overview of edited statutory sources from Portugal was given by A. Wolf, Gesetzgebung in Europa 1100-1500. Zur Entstehung der Territorialstaaten, München 1996, pp. 194-197.

The Portuguese Portal of Archives offers access to collections of 47 archival institutions (more than 8 million records).

Basic knowledge concerning the legal & constitutional history of Romania may be derived from respective handbooks, i.a. V. Hanga, Istoria dreptului românesc. Dreptul cutumiar, Iaşi 1993; C. Clipa, P. Miculescu, Istoria dreptului românesc. Istoria instituțiilor juridice în spațiul românesc, ed. revizuită, Timișoara 2007; C. Dariescu, Istoria statului și dreptului românesc din antichitate și până la Marea Unire, București 2008; M. Marin, Istoria dreptului românesc, București 2015; F. Negoiță, Istoria statului și dreptului românesc, București 2015; M. Guțan, Istoria dreptului românesc, București 2017.

Many charters from Wallachia & Moldavia have been published in two important series: Documente privitóre la istoria românilor, vols. 1-43, eds. E. de Hurmuzaki, Bucureşti 1887-1942; Documenta Romaniae Historica, Bucureşti 1965- [series A Moldavia, series B Wallachia, series C Transilvania, series D relations between Romanian lands]. there are other diplomataries, i.a. Documentele moldoveneşti înainte de Ştefan cel Mare, vols. 1-2, ed. M. Costăchescu, Bucureşti 1931-1932; Documentele moldovenesti dela Bogdan voevod (1504-1517), ed. M. Costăchescu, Bucureşti 1940.

A convenient guide through the online resources is the Resurse webpage.

Because of tha centuries-long bounds of that land with the Crown of St. Stephen, there are important publications concerning Transylvania that have been published in Hungary, e.g. the editions of parliamentary acts of Transylvania from the years 1540-1596: Erdélyi országgyűlési emlékek, történeti bevezetésekkel / Monumenta Comitalia Regni Transylvaniae, ed. S. Szilágyi [3 vols.], Budapest 1875-1877. There are also monographs concerning the laws of particular ethnic groups inhabiting Transylvania: the Szeklers (N. Kálnoky, Les constitutions et priviléges de la noble nation sicule: acculturation et maintien d'un systéme coutumier dans la Transylvanie médiévale, Budapest - Paris - Szeged 2004) and the Saxons (D. Moldt, Deutsche Stadtrechte im mittelalterlichen Siebenbürgen. Korporationsrechte - Sachsenspiegelrecht - Bergrecht, Köln - Weimar - Wien 2009).

Bibliography of municipal law in Romania, especially Transylvania, may be found in: K. Gőnczi, W. Carls, Sächsich-magdeburgisches Recht in Ungarn und Rumänien, Berlin-Boston 2013.

Nota bene: Romania consists of three main historical parts: the former principalities of Wallachia & Moldavia, united in 1859, and Transylvania, incorporated in 1920 along with Banat, Crișana and Maramureș, all of which used to be part of Hungary. Thus, research on the legal history of those regions must take into consideration the sources & editions concerning the former Kingdom of Hungary, as well as of particular ethnic groups, especially of Transylvania (see above).

The older bibliography of Scottish legal history may be retrieved through An Introductory Survey of the Sources and Literature of Scots Law, by various authors, Edinburgh 1936. More recent research agendas & bibliography of Scottish legal history may be traced through the handbooks (D.M. Walker, A legal history of Scotland, vols. 1-7, especially vol. 1: The beginnings to A.D. 1286, Edinburgh 1988, vol. 2: The later Middle Ages, Edinburgh 1990, vol. 3: The Sixteenth Century, Edinburgh 1995; A.R.C. Simpson, A.L.M. Wilson, Scottish Legal History, vol. 1: 1000-1707, Edinburgh 2017). See also: W. Sellar, H. David, Legal History in Scotland, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 9:1987, 74–87; M. Godfrey, Scottish Legal History 2001–2022: a Select Bibliography, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte", 44:2022, issue 3-4), 285-301.

Also, the monographs may be helpful (i.a., Cultures of law in urban Northern Europe: Scotland and its neighbours c. 1350–1650, ed. J.W. Armstrong, E. Frankot, London - New York 2021; J. Finlay, Men of Law in Pre-Reformation Scotland, East Linton 2000; J.D. Ford, Law and opinion in Scotland during the Seventeenth Century, Oxford 2007; M. Godfrey, Civil Justice in Renaissance Scotland: The Origins of a Central Court, Leiden 2009; H. MacQueen, Common Law and Feudal Society in Medieval Scotland, Edinburgh 1993; H. MacQueen, Law and Legal Consciousness in Medieval Scotland, Leiden 2023; C.J. Neville, Land, Law and People in Medieval Scotland, Edinburgh 2010; A. Taylor, The Shape of the State in Medieval Scotland: 1124-1290, Oxford 2016), including the ones concerning sub-disciplines of legal-historical research, i.a. the private law (A History of Private Law in Scotland, vols. 1-2, eds. K. Reid, R. Zimmermann, Oxford 2000-2001), or the maritime law (J.D. Ford, The emergence of privateering, Leiden 2023; Alexander King's treatise on maritime law, ed. J.D. Ford, Edinburgh 2018).

Among the journals where legal-historical texts & sources have been published and/or reviewed, "The Scottish Historical Review" must be mentioned; also most of the journals listed in the section concerning England publish or review scholarly works concerning Scottish legal history.

A useful online review of some sources of Scottish law has been delivered by the Georgetown Law Library.

A gateway to archival resources in the UK is being provided by the Archives Hub.

A convenient research overviews concerning recent decades of legal-historical historiography were given by S. Šarkić, Rechtsgeschichte in Serbien und Jugoslawien, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 29:2007, issue 1-2, 118–126, and N. Kršljanin, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 44:2022, issue 1-2 (the latter being available online). See also M. Vukotić, Chronicle of Research in Legal and Constitutional History in Serbia in 2016, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 10:2017, issue 2, 375-378; M. Vukotić, Chronicle of Scholarly Events in Serbia in 2017, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 11:2018, Issue 2, 291-292.

Digital National Library of Serbia provides access to digitised & digitalised resources related to the history of Serbia.

A bibliographic & thematic overview may be retrieved from the older handbooks concerning both Czechia & Slovakia (i.a. V. Vaneček, Prameny k dějinam statu a prava w Československu, Praha 1957; V. Vaněček, Dějiny státu a práva v Československu do roku 1945, 3rd ed., Praha 1976; K. Malý, F. Sivák, K. Řezáčová, Dějiny státu a práva v českých zemích a na Slovensku do r. 1918, 2nd ed., Jinočany 1993), and Slovakia (R. Rauscher, Slovenské právní dějiny v rámci dějin práva ve střední Evropě, Bratislava 1927; R. Rauscher, Přehled dějin právních pramenů na Slovensku, Bratislava 1930; R. Rauscher: Uherské a slovenské právní dějiny, Bratislava 1933), and of more recent handbooks (A. Švecová, T. Gábriš, Dejiny štátu, správy a súdnictva na Slovensku, Praha 2009; L. Vojáček, K. Schelle, Slovenské právní dějiny, Praha 2014; J. Beňa, T. Gábriš, Dejiny práva na území Slovenska I. (do roku 1918), Bratislava 2016; M. Lysý, Slovenské právne dejiny I. Vývoj ústavného a správneho práva na Slovensku od najstarších čias po súčasnosť, 2nd ed. Šamorín: Heureka, 2023).

See also bibliographic overviews: K. Malý, Tschechoslowakische rechtshistorische Literatur (Länderbericht), "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 6:1984, 163–177' Z. Illýová, Annual Report on Slovak Legal History 2013, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 7:2014, issue 4, 669-673; A. Letková, Annual Report on Slovak Legal History 2015, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 9:2016, issue 2, 263-266; T. Gábriš, A. Letková, Constitutional History 2000–2015: Slovak Republic, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 11:2018, issue 1, 1-34; A. Švecová, M. Laclavíková, I. Lanczová, Chronicle of Scholarly Events in the Field of Legal History Held in the Slovak Republic in 2018, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 12:2019, Issue 3, 451-453; A. Švecová, M. Laclavíková, I. Lanczová, Chronicle of Scholarly Events in Legal History and Roman Law Held in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic in 2019, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 13:2020, issue 3, 403-406; A. Švecová, I. Lanczová, Chronicle of Scholarly Events in Legal History and Roman Law in the Slovak Republic and Czech Republic in 2020, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 14:2021, Issue 3, 421-424; A. Švecová, I. Lanczová, Chronicle of Scholarly Events in Legal History Held in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic in 2021, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 15:2022, issue 3, 485-488; A. Švecová, I. Lanczová, Chronicle of Scholarly Events in Legal History Held in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic in 2022, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 16:2023, issue 3, 441-446.

Selections of legal-historical sources have been delivered, i.a., by A. Švecová and M. Laclavíková, Pramene práva na území Slovenska I: Od najstarších čias do rok 1790, Trnava 2007, J. Beňa, Pramene k dejinám práva. Stredovek, Bratislava 2007, and J. Kolárik, Právne dejiny Slovenska, vol. 1, 3rd ed., Žilina 2012.

Normative sources of general importance from the Middle Ages should be looked for in the editions concerning all the countries of the Crown of St. Stephen (see above, in the section devoted to Hungary).

The oldest medieval charters concerning Slovakia have been published in Codex diplomaticus et epistolaris Slovaciae, vols. 1-2, ed. R. Marsina, Bratislava 1971-1987; and charters from the years 1301-1323 in: Regesta diplomatica nec non epistolaria Slovaciae, ed. V. Sedlák, vols. 1-2, Bratislava 1980-1987. Documents concerning Slovakia may be also looked for in various Hungarian editions (see above, in the respective section, and in this section, in the paragraph concerning Spiš; see also the diplomatic codex of the archbishopric of Esztergom: Monumenta ecclesie Strigoniensis, vols. 1-3, Esztergom 1863 - Budapest 1924).

There are many editions of sources concerning municipal law, i.a. of Bratislava (e.g. Štatúty bratislavských cechov (1543–1801): Dokumenty, ed. A. Špiesz, Bratislava 1978), Košice (Acta iudicaria civitatis Cassoviensis 1393-1405: Das älteste Kaschauer Stadtbuch, ed. O.R. Halaga, München 1994), Žilina (Žilinská právna kniha: magdeburské právo, ed. R. Kuchár, Bratislava 1993; Žilinská právna kniha. Zápisy právnych úkonov žilinských mešťanov, ed. R. Kuchár, Bratislava 2001; Žilinská právna kniha: preklad magdeburského práva zápisy právnych úkonov žilinských mešt̕anov, ed. R. Kuchár, Bratislava 2009), Kremnica (I.T. Piirainen, Das Stadt- und Bergrecht von Kremnica/Kremnitz. Untersuchungen zum Frühneuhochdeutschen in d. Slowakei, Heidelberg 1983), Švedlár (Das Stadtbuch von Schwedler/Švedlár. texte und Untersuchungen zum entstehenden Neuhochdeutsch in der Slowakei, eds. I.T. Piirainen, J. Meier, Levoča 1993).

A separate bulk of sources and literature concern the region of Spiš and its confedederation of towns. There are old collections of various documents: Analecta Scepusii sacri et profani, part 1, ed. C. Wagner, Viennae 1774; Supplementum analectorum terrae Scepusiensis, vol. 1, ed. J. Bárdossy, Leutschoviae 1802, vol. 2, ed. M. Schmauk, Szepesváraljae 1889. There is also a modern edition of the Law of Spiš: I.T. Piirainen, M. Papsonová, Das Recht der Spiš/Zips. Texte und Untersuchungen zum Frühneuhochdeutschen in der Slowakei, Oulu 1992).

General bibliography of municipal Magdeburg law in Slovakia may be retrieved from I. Bily, W. Carls, K. Gönczi, M. Lazar, Sächsisch-magdeburgisches Recht in Tschechien und in der Slowakei. Untersuchungen zur Geschichte des Rechts und seiner Sprache, DeGruyter 2021 (Ius Saxonico-Maideburgense in Oriente, ed. H. Lück, vol. 5). 

Nota bene: through most of its history, Slovakia was a part of the Crown of St. Stephen, and therefore many data & resources concerning it may be found also in the section on Hungary.

An insight into the older research and bibliography is possible through the handbooks, i.e. F. Tomás y Valiente, Manual de Historia del Derecho español, Madrid 2001; J.A. Planas, J.J. Montes Salguero, R. Pérez Marcos, Dolores del Mar Sánchez González, Manual de historia del derecho y de las instituciones, Sanz y Torres 2006; J.A. Escudero, Curso de Historia del Derecho. Fuentes e instituciones político-administrativas, 3rd ed., Madrid 2003 (there are also other handbooks, e.g. of J. Sánchez-Arcilla Bernal, or the older ones, i.a. of J. Lalinde-Abadia or A. Garcia-Gallo), and encyclopaedic works, e.g. Medieval Iberia: An Encyclopedia, ed. M. Gerli, NY 2003.

A convenient overview of edited statutory sources from various Iberic kingdoms of present-day Spain was given by A. Wolf, Gesetzgebung in Europa 1100-1500. Zur Entstehung der Territorialstaaten, München 1996, pp. 197-229.

Digitalized printed resources are available through the Biblioteca Digital Hispánica, which is a service provided by the National Library of Spain, the Hispana, provided by the National Direction for Digital Resources, and other services, i.a. the Virtual Library of Bibliographic Heritage or the BiViDA (Biblioteca Virtual de Derecho Aragonés).

A convenient gateway to legal sources published on-line, including Roman, Visigothic, Byzantine & Spanish Laws, is the Fuentes online published by the BOE official state bulletin. BOE allows also for identification & mostly also downloading of particular volumes of several edition series of legal sources, listed under Collectiones de Historia.

Archival resources may be searched through the PARES (Spanish Archives Portal).

There are several journals that provide texts concerning the legal history of the pre-modern era, i.a. Anuario de historia del derecho español, Historia. Instituciones. Documentos, Revista de estudios histórico-jurídicos, the Catalan periodical Revista de Dret Històric Català, or the on-line e-Legal History Review.

The sources from Sweden may be found through the recent monograph of D. Strauch, Mittelalterliches nordisches Recht bis 1500: Eine Quellenkunde, DeGruyter 2011 (see also an overview of the same author here, and an older partial bibliographic overview: S. Carlsson, Nordisk Rattshistorisk Literatur 1956-1965. Ein Bibliografisk Förttecking, Stockholm 1972). See also: Å. Modéer Kjel, Nordische rechtshistorische Literatur, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 1:1979, 52–66; L. Björne, Nordische rechtsgeschichtliche Literatur in den achtziger und neunziger Jahren – eine Übersicht, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 22:2000, issue 3-4, 239–254; H. Pihlajamäki, Legal History in the Nordic Countries, Clio@Themis [Online], 1:2009, URL: http://journals.openedition.org/cliothemis/1974 (accessed on 20 September 2024). A convenient research overview concerning statutory sources from Sweden was provided by A. Wolf, Gesetzgebung in Europa 1100-1500. Zur Entstehung der Territorialstaaten, München 1996, pp. 311-319.

Convenient gateways to digital resources concerning the Middle Ages is being provided by the Riksarkivet (see also in the section concerning repositories).

An important edition series containing normative sources is the Samling af Sveriges Gamla Lagar (Corpus iuris Sueo-Gotorum antiqui), vols. 1-XIII, Stockholm 1827-77, available in the Internet in a digitised form.

The published diplomas may be retrieved through the "Diplomatarium Suecanum" (Svenskt Diplomatarium), being published from 1829 on. It consists of the main series (which contains charters issued until 1370s), and two parallel series: Svenskt Diplomatarium: från och med år 1401 (ed. C. Silfverstolpe & K.H. Karlsson 1875−1904), and the Acta Pontificum Svecica with two sub-series. The Diplomatarium may be searched thrrough the respective service provided by the Riksarkivet.

Nota bene: due to the historical fates of Scania, in studying the legal history of this region, also Danish publications & resources might be helpful.

General insight into the history of Switzerland, including legal history, is possible thanks to the Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz.

The most crucial edition of legal historical sources concerning Switzerland is the Sammlung Schweizerischer Rechtsquellen / Les sources du droit Suisse, Aarau 1898- (SSRQ), which has also its online counterpart: the SSRQ, provided by the Rechtsquellenstiftung des schweizerischen Juristenvereins. It gives access to digitalised sources, retrodigitalised literature & useful databanks. Several other online services providing access to both archival & published resources may be found there in the Repositories section of the "External Resources" tab.

General orientation on the ongoing projects & research on the history of Switzerland may be also obtained through the InfoCLIO portal, including, i.a., a search engine for source editions.

General bibliography of legal history of Ukraine in the Middle Ages & early modernity may be retrieved through the handbooks (e.g., В. Іванов, Історія держави і права україни: Підручник, Київ 2007, modules II-III; О.П. Герасимчук, Історія держави і права україни: Практикум, Острог 2010).

See also bibliographic overviews of research: R. Shandra, A Brief Review of Scientific Events in Legal History in Ukraine in 2013, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 7:2014, issue 4, 675-678; R. Shandra, A Brief Review of Scholarly Events in Legal History in Ukraine in 2015, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 9:2016, issue 2, 267-270; R. Shandra, A Brief Review of Scholarly Events in Legal History in Ukraine in 2016, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 10:2017, issue 2, 381-385; R. Shandra, A Brief Review of Scholarly Events in Legal History in Ukraine in 2017, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 11:2018, issue 2, 293-295; N. Paslavska, Rechtshistorische Forschung in der Ukraine, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 40:2018, issue 1-2, 121–130; R. Shandra, Constitutional and Legal History Works of Ukrainian Scholars in 2000-2015, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 11:2018, Issue 1, 67-94; R. Shandra, A Brief Review of Scholarly Events in the Field of Legal History in Ukraine in 2018, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 12:2019, issue 3, 455-458; R. Shandra, A Brief Review of Scholarly Events in the Field of Legal History in Ukraine in 2019, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 13:2020, issue 3, 407-411; R. Shandra, A Brief Review of Scholarly Events in the Field of Legal History in Ukraine in 2020, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 14:2021, issue 3, 429-431; R. Shandra, A Brief Review of Scholarly Events in the Field of Legal History in Ukraine in 2021, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 15:2022, issue 3, 489-491; R. Shandra, A Brief Review of Scholarly Events in the Field of Legal History in Ukraine in 2022, "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 16:2023, Issue 3, 439-440.

The oldest normative monument of Kyivian Rus', the Ruska Pravda (i.e., Ruthenian Truth) has a quite new edition («Правда Руська» Ярослава Мудрого: початок вітчизняного законодавства, eds. Г.Г. Демиденко, В.М. Єрмолаєв, introd. by В.Я. Тація, 2nd ed., Харків 2017); an older critical edition of S. Juškov (Kyiv 1935) is available online. There is also a recent edition of various legal monuments of the Kyivian Rus': Київська Русь: пам’ятки права (Х–ХІІІ ст.): тексти, переклади, коментарі, eds. Г.Г. Демиденко, В.М. Єрмолаєв, Харків: 2020.

The Lithuanian Statutes (1529, 1566, 1588), 16th-cent. codifications of law for the whole Grand Duchy which were of high importance for Ukraine also after its incorporation into the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland (1569), have a quite recent Ukrainian edition: Статути Великого князівства Литовського: У 3-х томах, eds. С. Ківалова, П. Музиченка, А. Панькова, Одеса 2002-2004.

For the late Middle Ages & early modern period, many interesting sources of legal practice (mostly documents, but also lauda of the Seymiks/Dietines) concerning western Ukraine (Red or Halician Ruthenia) were edited in the series Akta grodzkie i ziemskie z czasów Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z archiwum tak zwanego bernardyńskiego we Lwowie, Lwów 1868-1935. There are also quite recent editions of sources of legal practice, both on the level of all the Commonwealth of Two Nations (i.a., Руська (Волинська) метрика. Книга за 1569–1572, 1574 рр., eds. П. Кулаковський, Ю.Святець. Кам’янець-Полільський 2023), and of particular towns, i.a. Привілеї міста Львова (XIV-XVIII ст.), ed. М.М. Капраль, 2nd ed., Львів 2010; Привілеї Києва кінця XV–середини XVII ст. Дослідження. Тексти, ed. Н. Білоус, Києв 2013; Раєцька книга міста Львова (1460–1506), eds. М. Капраль, Б. Петришак, Львів, 2020. An overview of source edition activities from the years 1991-2012 was delivered by M. Kapral, The Editing of Legal History Sources Referring to the Medieval and Early Modern Ukraine (1991-2012), "Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History" 7:2014, Issue 4, 551-560.

Nota bene: The territory of Ukraine was the cradle and core area of the Old Ruthenian empire (the Kyivian Rus'). In the 14th cent., the principalities of southern Ruthenia were incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania & Kingdom of Poland, and shared their fates until the 17th-18th cent. (but never lost their sense of Ruthenian identity, which after 1648 resulted also in the creation of separate state structures, the Hetmanate); in the late 18th cent. Ukrainian territories became parts of the Russian & Habsburg empires, and after 1918: of Poland and the Soviet Union. Therefore, although most of the legal sources concerning present-day Ukraine before 1600 are preserved in Ukrainian institutions (i.a. the Ukrainian National Library of V. Vernadsky or Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine), many may also be found abroad (e.g., the original location privileges for Kyiv are being preserved in Cracow), and their editions must be looked for also in Polish, Russian or other edition series (e.g. the constitutions of the Diet/Sejm of the Kingdom of Poland and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth concerning Ukraine may be found in the "Volumina Constitutionum" edition).

Extensive review of the research & literature on Welsh Law in the Middle Ages may be found in the handbook of T.G. Watkin, The Legal History of Wales, 2nd ed., Cardiff 2007, chapt. 4-7, and the recent monograph of S.E. Roberts, The growth of law in medieval Wales, c.1100–c.1500, Woodbridge 2022. See also: T.G. Watkin, Legal History in England and Wales, "Zeitschrift für Neuere Rechtsgeschichte" 21:1999, 436–450.

There are several collections of native Welsh (Cymric) Law, preserved in various manuscripts in several institutions in Aberystwyth, London, Oxford & in private possession. The first extensive critical editions of the oldest Welsh Laws, provided with English translations, were prepared by A. Owen in 1841 (Ancient Laws and Institutes of Wales: Iorwerth und Blegy wryd redactions), and A.W. Wade-Evans (Welsh Medieval Law, being a text of the Laws of Howel the Good, Oxford 1909: the Cyfnerth Recension). There are also more recent editions & translations: Cyfreithiau Hywel Dda yn ól Llyfr Blegywryd, ed. S.J. Williams, J.E. Powell, Cardiff 1942; The Laws of Hywell Dda. The Book of Blegywryd, transl. by M. Richards, Liverpool 1954; Llyfr Iorwerth: A Critical Text of the Venedotian Code of Medieval Welsh Law mainly from B.M. Cotton MS. Titus Dii, ed. A.R. Wiliam, Cardiff 1960; The Latin Texts of the Welsh Laws, ed. H.D. Emanuel, Cardiff 1967; The Law of Hywel Dda: Lawtexts from Medieval Wales, ed. & transl. by D. Jenkins, Llandysul 1986 (based upon the Iorwerth redaction, but also including material from the Cyfnerth & Blegwyryd redactions & other, younger sources).

The diplomatic production of the chanceries of the Welsh monarchs ruling before the Edwardian conquest was gathered & edited in: The Acts of Welsh Rulers: 1120-1283, ed. H. Price, 2nd ed., Cardiff 2005.

The English statutes for Wales from the years 1215-1902 may be found in the edition: The Statutes of Wales, ed. I. Bowen, London 1908 (contains Latin & Normandic/French texts with English translations).

There is also a group on Medieval Welsh Law on Academia.edu.