Welcome to the Centre of East Asian Law
The Centre of East Asian Law was established in 1988, with one of its principle functions being the promotion of the study of East Asian legal systems amongst academic lawyers and practitioners. Based at the Department of Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, the Centre embodies a concentration of expertise in the field of East Asian law within the regional interdisciplinary specialisation of the School as a whole. The importance of those jurisdictions within the remit of the Centre has grown in the decade since its establishment, in legal, political and commercial terms, and CEAL stands as a focus for scholarly research and practical investigation into both developing and developed legal systems in the region.
The Centre also provides an academic home for a number of professional training programmes. These programmes serve to provide opportunities for legal and professional exchange between this country and East Asian jurisdictions, in particular the People's Republic of China. Current programmes, jointly organised with British and European institutions, include training schemes for lawyers and judges, as well as consultation and research visits by senior PRC academics and state legal officials.
As well as forging and maintaining links abroad, the Centre also continues to work within commercial legal circles, and provides a forum for discussion on East Asian legal development between academics, students and practitioners. The growing interest in the East Asian market has created a fertile environment for intellectual discussion on important issues affecting the region, and CEAL works to encourage constructive exchange and discourse on the changing legal environment of East Asia.
