![ISDC interior](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/ISDC_interior.jpg)
The Swiss Institute of Comparative Law (french: Institut suisse de droit comparé (ISDC), german: Schweizerisches Institut für Rechtsvergleichung) is an agency of the
federal administration of Switzerland charged with research and consultancy in
comparative law
Comparative law is the study of differences and similarities between the law (legal systems) of different countries. More specifically, it involves the study of the different legal "systems" (or "families") in existence in the world, including the ...
.
Its principal mission is to furnish opinions about foreign law to the administration, the courts and the public. It also operates a publicly accessible research library, which holds 360,000 volumes and served 6,000 visitors in 2008.
The institute was founded through federal statute in 1978. It is located on the campus of the
University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne (UNIL; french: links=no, Université de Lausanne) in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of Protestant theology, before being made a university in 1890. The university is the second oldest in Switzer ...
and is administratively attached to the
Federal Department of Justice and Police. It employs a staff of about 30 researchers, librarians and clerical personnel.
See also
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Lausanne campus
The Lausanne campus or Dorigny university campus (French: ''campus lausannois'' or ''campus de Dorigny'') is a large area in Switzerland where the University of Lausanne (UNIL), the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and several o ...
*
Law of Switzerland
Swiss law is a set of rules which constitutes the law in Switzerland.
Structure and Sources
There is a hierarchy of political levels which reflects the legal and constitutional character of Switzerland.
The Federal law (german: Bundesrecht, f ...
Notes and references
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External links
WebsiteLibrary catalogue
Federal Department of Justice and Police
Libraries in Switzerland
Comparative law
1978 establishments in Switzerland
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