David Eric Lothian Johnston
Encyclopedia
David Eric Lothian Johnston QC
(born 1961) is a Scottish legal expert, currently Honorary Professor of Law at the University of Edinburgh
.
, where he obtained a B.A. in 1982, a Ph.D. in 1986 and an LL.D. in 2001. He was appointed Junior Research Fellow there between 1985 and 1989, after which he moved into legal practice, concentrating on public law, in particular human rights, and commercial law. He was involved in the litigation arising from the Lockerbie bombing. From 1993 to 1999 he returned to academia as Regius Professor of Civil Law
and Fellow of Christ's College in the University of Cambridge
. Specialising in Roman law
, Scottish law and the history of law, he is the author of four books. In 2000 he resumed legal practice in Edinburgh
and was appointed Queen's Counsel
in 2005.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(born 1961) is a Scottish legal expert, currently Honorary Professor of Law at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
.
Career
Johnston was an undergraduate at Christ's College, CambridgeChrist's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, where he obtained a B.A. in 1982, a Ph.D. in 1986 and an LL.D. in 2001. He was appointed Junior Research Fellow there between 1985 and 1989, after which he moved into legal practice, concentrating on public law, in particular human rights, and commercial law. He was involved in the litigation arising from the Lockerbie bombing. From 1993 to 1999 he returned to academia as Regius Professor of Civil Law
Regius Professor of Civil Law (Cambridge)
The Regius Professorship of Civil Law is one of the oldest and most prestigious of the professorships at the University of Cambridge.The chair was founded by Henry VIII in 1540 with a stipend of £40 per year, and the holder is still chosen by The Crown....
and Fellow of Christ's College in the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. Specialising in Roman law
Roman law
Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome, and the legal developments which occurred before the 7th century AD — when the Roman–Byzantine state adopted Greek as the language of government. The development of Roman law comprises more than a thousand years of jurisprudence — from the Twelve...
, Scottish law and the history of law, he is the author of four books. In 2000 he resumed legal practice in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and was appointed Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 2005.
Selected writings
- On a Singular Book of Cervidius Scaevola (1987)
- The Roman Law of Trusts, Cambridge University Press (1988)
- Roman Law in Context, Oxford University Press (1999)
- Prescription and Limitation (1999)