Abstract
This article studies the emergence of European law by exploring the life and career of Michel Gaudet, a French jurist who, behind the scene and out of the political spotlight, played a central role in fostering the European legal order in the 1950s and 1960s. As director at the legal service of the European Communities executives, Gaudet significantly contributed to the legal revolution that quasi-constitutionalized the European Treaties in the mid-1960s. Yet, he remains one of the least known figures of the early history of the European integration. Relying on his rich personal archives and on interviews with members of his family, this article investigates his personal and professional life experiences, with the aim of understanding how these experiences shaped his ideas, and influenced his thinking and actions in the legal field. This allows us to better understand the background and ideological outlook of one of the most influential figures behind the making of the European legal order, and consequently the intellectual roots of this legal transformation of Europe. It also affords us a unique glimpse into the social and intellectual world of the first generation of civil servants who shaped the new European institutions in the 1950s and 1960s.
| Translated title of the contribution | Dannelsen af EF-retten: En udforsking af Michels Gaudets liv og arbejde |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Article number | 1 |
| Journal | American Journal of Legal History |
| Volume | 57 |
| Issue number | no. 1 |
| Pages (from-to) | 51-82 |
| Number of pages | 32 |
| ISSN | 0002-9319 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2017 |
Keywords
- Faculty of Humanities
- European Law