The latest special edition of Nordicum-Mediterraneum contains contributions in celebration of the 20th anniversary of legal education at the University of Akureyri. The articles are based on presentations at the anniversary symposium held in March 2023 alongside some other works.
All articles are available on an open-access basis as usual: Volume 18, no. 2 (2023)
The three editors provide a short introduction, “Special Editors’ Introduction ” which is followed by five articles and a personal tribute. The first article, “Um laganám við Háskólann á Akureyri ,” (About legal education at the University of Akureyri) contains the personal reflections of three of those who played a key role in the establishment of the legal studies. Guðmundur H. Frímannson, emeritus professor, Mikael Karlsson, emeritus professor, and Rachael Lorna Johnstone, professor, discuss challenges that they faced and overcame to deliver the education and research for which the Faculty is known today. Júlí Ósk Antonsdóttir, adjunct and district court lawyer, contributes “Réttindi forsjárlauss foreldris: Veldur afsal á forsjá til barnaverndarþjónustu réttindamissi forsjárlauss foreldris ?” (The rights of the non-custodial parent: does relinquishment of custody to child protection services constitute a loss of rights for the non-custodial parent?), examining the rights of non-custodial parents when the parent with custody transfers custody to child protection services. Rachael Lorna Johnstone, professor, follows with “Polar Law after the Invasion of Ukraine ” about the importance of international law and relying on international approaches when it comes to resolving challenges and disputes in the polar regions. Sara Fusco, PhD student and graduate of the polar law programme at the University of Akureyri, continues the special issue with “In dubio pro natura, Environmental Constitutionalism and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Arctic ,.” Her article traces how environmental law is influencing modern constitutionalism and how this is reflected in interpretation and application of Indigenous rights to land. Then Eleni Kontostathi, another polar law graduate, and Polina Ananina, former student of the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, deliver “The Northern Sea Route: New Opportunities, New Challenges ,” about how global warming is affecting the Arctic and its legal environment. They place special emphasis on discussing the Russian government’s emphasis on its cooperation with the Chinese government and the potential for new ports and infrastructure by making use of the North Sea Route. The special issue closes with an In Memoriam tribute to Ágúst Þór Árnason, by Ragnheiður Elfa Þorsteinsdóttir, lecturer.
Image: Speakers at the 20th anniversary symposium, March 2023.
Special editors: Valgerður Guðmundsdóttir, Rachael Lorna Johnstone and Cristina -Silvia Cretu
19 December 2023