Cruise through History of Law in Ports of the World

Cruise through History storybooks are collections of short stories grouped by sequence of popular cruise itineraries, into fifteen volumes. As stories move from port to port, they randomly move through time. Stories are all true. They introduce travelers to history and culture of a port through a long-ago, or not so long-ago, resident, whose exploits left a castle, palace, or lovely site to explore. Cruise through History of the Law in Ports of the World crosses itineraries, traversing the globe, presenting a unique casebook of law.

As stories illustrate, rights litigated today were adjudicated in sophisticated venues a millennium or two ago, providing instructive precedent. In these stories, lawyers may find creative solutions to vexing cases. Judges may pause prior to authoring a lengthy opinion, as though elucidating a newly discovered treatise, only to find the matter well decided centuries ago. While quoting Macbeth, Columba, or the Arthasastra may not change outcomes, it will give opponents pause and awaken interest of an appreciative jurist. These stories are intended as fun diversions, inspiring travel destinations.

Travel to the core of legal principles impels definition of natural and common law. Natural Law is often equated to moral principles, developed in righteous life, construed as the basis of religious law. In the time span of these stories, religion is a recent concept. The Stones of Time in Orkney, Shetland, Scotland, and Ireland reveal Natural Law in harmony with the environment. Druids held wisdom for survival on the land.

Common Law is a law of precedent, developed as rules of the community. Besides building roads to traverse their known universe, from Constantinople to England, Romans moved from common law to civil law, when they posted the Twelve Tables of legal principles on the Forum in Rome. Justa of Herculaneum brought a case in Roman probate court for assets of her mother's estate, taken under advisement by the judge, until Mount Vesuvius covered her city in mud. Justinian, making amends for the riots, rebuilt the Hagia Sofia and issued the Restatement of Civil Law in Corpus Juris Civilus.

Sailing to Norway and Reykjavik, Iceland follows the course of Vikings preserving democratic government tradition in annual Things. Pause along the fissure of rocky earth in Iceland, where Vikings held law courts and legislative sessions since the tenth century.

Cruise to ports of Mexico, Central, and South America, where the zoning decree of Spanish king Philip II in the Law of the Indies is still evident in Spanish colonial towns. Cathedrals anchor main squares of Spanish hill towns along the Pacific coast and throughout South America. Priests, not politicians, were the predominant authority.

As stories float through time and across the globe, they leave travelers and readers with a sense that law is more than a rigorous field of study. Reflecting on application of law in lives lived long ago, is a fun bit of harmless voyeurism. Law texts are compendiums of stories illustrating legal principles. CTH adds in fun. Enjoy your travels!