Prof. Peter Becker, a German lawyer, economist, and political scientist. Among others, he holds a doctoral degree in political science from the University of Potsdam, Germany, and was appointed professor of law.
Much has been said in the past about the importance of comparative law, particularly with regard to globalization, the need for cooperation on global issues such as environmental protection and peace, and other areas of international cooperation. The world has grown closer together in the last hundred years, and most global problems can only be solved if there are international legal rules, procedures and institutions.
For countries like Cambodia, Comparative Law studies have another dimension. Until the end of the 20th century, Cambodia was a traditional society where law does not have much importance, and therefore a complex legal system did not emerge. Legislation by the French, introduced in the 1920th did not play a role. However, things began to change dramatically at the beginning of the 21st century. Since then, the economy has boomed to an extent rarely seen in other countries. The Cambodian society grow more and more complex, and the law is in trouble to keep up with the speed of this development.
You must not invent everything on your own in such a situation. You can import cars and cellphone and things like this from abroad. But with the law, it is not that easy. The famous German jurist and historian Friedrich Karl von Savigny said in the early 19th century that the law of a nation comes into being in the same manner as its language. Therefore, you cannot simply copy-past America or German Law. Instead, Cambodian lawyers have to create a legal system that fits Cambodian society instead. But of course, they can take inspiration from the existing legal system in other countries. This is the way that the Japanese have successfully chosen more than 100 years ago.
If you want to follow this path you have to know about the up and down sides of the law in other parts of the world. This is the reason why it is so important for Cambodia law students to study comparative law.
