Global commercial law - is there such a thing?

Prof Frank Garcia - Professor of Law and Dean’s Global Fund Scholar at the Boston College Law School

Is there such a thing as global commercial law? If so, why does that matter? 

The question of global commercial law is, in part, related to the internationalization of commercial transactions and commercial law, which has been going on for some time. But, the question really lives in the context of the larger investigation of the question of global law itself—is there such a thing as global law, as opposed to national law, international law, transnational law, etc.? Because commercial law is directly engaged with economic power, interests and objectives, has a long tradition of transnational mercantile custom, and has an independent private system of dispute resolution which nevertheless requires enforcement through national law, global commercial law is an ideal space in which to interrogate the globalization of law itself.

Frank J. Garcia is Professor of Law and Dean's Global Fund Scholar at the Boston College Law School, and until recently the Associate Dean for Global Initiatives. A Fulbright Scholar, he has lectured widely on globalization and international economic law in Europe, South America and the Asia/Pacific region, most recently at the University of Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne. Professor Garcia has held various leadership positions within the American Society of International Law, and currently sits on the editorial board of the Journal of International Economic Law, where he is Chief Book Review Editor. He is the author, most recently, of Global Justice and International Economic Law: Three Takes, published by Cambridge University Press.

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