Conference overview
This conference project is the outcome of reflections undertaken by the members of the Scientific Committee since 2020, the year in which China adopted its first Civil Code, thereby marking a turning point both in the country’s legal history and in the field of comparative law.
At the time, any discussion of the new Code would arguably have been premature and might have remained confined to the realm of law in books. Now, five years after the Code entered into force, it is possible to assess its impact in a more concrete and meaningful way.
Against this background, the aim of the conference is to examine the application of the Civil Code through case law, legislation, and legal practice, while also placing this impact in comparative perspective by considering developments in European civil codes.
To this end, the conference—which will be conducted in both English and Mandarin—will bring together six Chinese professors and six professors from different European countries (France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy). The speakers will participate in a series of panels, each devoted to one of the Books of the Chinese Civil Code: General Provisions, Persons, Contracts, Property, Civil Liability, and Family and Succession Law.
Programme
Monday, October 19, 2026
Panel 1 – The genesis and fundamental features of the Chinese civil code compared to the main European civil codes
Chair: Louis-Daniel MUKA TSHIBENDE, (Lyon Catholic University – UCLy, France)
Panel 2 – The law of property and goods
Chair: Cédric HELAINE (Lyon Catholic University – UCLy, France)
Panel 3 – The law of persons, family and successions
Chair: Julie COURTOIS (University of Grenoble, France)
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Panel 4 – The law of obligations – contracts and torts
Chair: Nathalie POTIN (Lyon Catholic University - UCLy, France)
Practical information
- Location : UCLy | Saint-Paul Campus - 10 Place des Archives, 69002 Lyon OR online (Teams).
- Amphithéâtre Mérieux (October 19) - Amphithéâtre Mouterde (October 20). The event will be accessible both in person and online via Microsoft Teams. The link will be sent to registered participants a few days before the event.
- Conference language : English and Mandarin (with simultaneous interpretation)
Fees
- Etudiant / student (UCLy or external) - FREE REGISTRATION
- Enseignant / Professor (UCLy or external) - FREE REGISTRATION
- UCLy staff - FREE REGISTRATION
- Professionnel extérieur / External professional - PAID REGISTRATION : https://ypl.me/Tmm/t
