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'Human Rights in Britain and France from Thomas Becket to the French Revolution'

“The whole race of men upon the earth arose from the same origin, … delights in the same heavens, lives the same, and dies the same …” – 1159, John of Salisbury (c1120-1180), secretary to Thomas Becket (1119-1170), and Bishop of Chartres (1176-1180).

Slavery, as a legally recognised status, disappeared from Northern France and England around the 13th century. This momentous development gave rise to the legal recognition of equality, liberty, and other human rights, and inspired the eventual abolition of slavery worldwide in the 19th and 20th centuries. Whatever the other contributory causes of these developments, the legal language in which these ideas were expressed in France and Britain originated in France, and evolved in a dialogue between lawyers of the two countries, among others, which continues to this day.

Sir Michael Tugendhat, Honorary Professor of Law, University of Leicester, Inner Temple Bencher, joint author with Elizabeth de Montlaur Martin of the Les droits du genre humain: la liberté en France et en Angleterre (1159-1793), [The rights of mankind : liberty in France and England (1159-1793)] Société de législation comparée, Paris, 2021 which was recently awarded a prize by the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques.

In person and livestreamed from The Inner Temple

Doors open: 5.30pm

Lecture: 6pm - 7pm (GMT+1:00)

Reception: 7pm - 8pm

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Please note that a recording of this lecture will be made available on www.innertemple.org.uk/historylectures

Book/Cancel: 05/10/2022