Revue générale de droit

Revue générale de droit
Title	Revue générale de droit
Discipline	Law
Language	French
Publisher	Université de Montréal (example)
Country	Canada
History	19XX–present
Frequency	Quarterly

Revue générale de droit Revue générale de droit is a francophone legal periodical publishing peer-reviewed scholarship on civil law, comparative law, and public policy, engaging scholars associated with Université de Montréal, McGill University, Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke, and Université du Québec à Montréal. The journal has been cited in decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada, referenced in analyses invoking the Civil Code of Québec, discussed alongside commentary on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and reviewed in symposia at institutions such as the Institut de recherche en politiques publiques and the Canadian Bar Association.

History

Founded in the late 19th and 20th centuries by jurists influenced by traditions from Napoleonic Code, the journal traces intellectual lineages involving figures connected to Henri Capitant, Louis-Philippe Pigeon, Paul-André Crépeau, Jean Chabot, and scholars educated at Université de Paris (Sorbonne), University of Oxford, and Harvard Law School. Over successive decades the publication intersected with debates spawned by the enactment of the Civil Code of Québec (1991), the patriation process culminating in the Constitution Act, 1982, and constitutional jurisprudence shaped by the Notwithstanding Clause. Editorial transitions saw collaboration with legal associations including the Barreau du Québec, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies, and the Royal Society of Canada, while international contributors affiliated with Université catholique de Louvain, Université Libre de Bruxelles, University of Toronto, Yale Law School, and Columbia Law School expanded comparative perspectives.

Scope and Editorial Focus

The journal concentrates on civil law theory, private law reform, administrative adjudication, family law controversies, commercial law harmonization, and human rights adjudication, placing scholarship in conversation with texts such as the Civil Code of France, the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, the European Convention on Human Rights, and commentary emerging from the International Law Commission. Contributions routinely engage jurisprudence from the Cour d'appel du Québec, the Federal Court of Canada, the European Court of Human Rights, and doctrinal approaches associated with jurists like Gustav Radbruch and Ronald Dworkin, while comparative reviews reference scholarship from Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, and legal historians tied to Pierre Legendre.

Publication and Frequency

Published on a regular schedule, the journal issues volumes aligned with academic terms and special thematic issues generated in conjunction with conferences at venues like Palais des congrès de Montréal, seminars hosted by McGill Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies, and colloquia sponsored by the International Association of Legal Science. Distribution networks include academic libraries such as the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, holdings catalogued via the Library of Congress, exchanges with the HeinOnline archive, and dissemination at events organized by the Canadian Law Teachers Association and the International Bar Association.

Editorial Board and Peer Review

Editorial oversight has historically comprised professors and practitioners from faculties associated with Université de Montréal Faculty of Law, McGill Faculty of Law, Université Laval Faculty of Law, and judges drawn from the Court of Appeal of Quebec, the Superior Court of Quebec, and occasionally guest editors linked to European University Institute and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law. The peer-review process engages external referees from networks including American Society of Legal History, Society of Legal Scholars, and specialist panels with members affiliated to Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Oxford Faculty of Law, and subject-matter experts who have served on commissions such as the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.

Notable Articles and Contributions

The journal has published influential articles addressing reconstruction of the Civil Code of Quebec (1994–1997) commentary, comparative analyses of the Common Law/Civil Law divide, exegeses of Charter litigation strategies, and seminal treatments of restitution and contract reform cited by scholars linked to Peter Birks, H.L.A. Hart, André Tunc, and Philippe Malaurie. Special issues have gathered contributions referencing landmark decisions like R. v. Sparrow, Moore v. British Columbia (Education), and transnational critiques involving doctrines from the European Court of Justice and the International Court of Justice.

Indexing and Impact

Indexed in national and international bibliographies alongside databases maintained by the Institut national de la recherche scientifique, cited in legal opinions from the Supreme Court of Canada and provincial appellate courts, and incorporated into course reading lists at Université de Montréal, McGill University, Université Laval, University of Ottawa, and Queen's University, the journal has influenced law reform commissions, submissions to the Department of Justice Canada, and research agendas connected to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Its impact is reflected in citations tracked by citation services associated with the Scopus and Web of Science platforms and in scholarly recognition at forums such as the Canadian Legal History Conference and awards conferred by the Association des juristes d'expression française du Nouveau‑Brunswick.

Category:Law journals Category:French-language journals Category:Canadian publications