BYNKERSHOEK

bynkershoek, cornelius van (1673-1743), dutch jurist, was born at middleburg in zeeland. in the prosecution of his legal studies, and while holding the offices first of member and afterwards of president of the supreme court, he found the common law of his country so defective as to be nearly useless for practical purposes. this abuse he resolved to reform, and took as the basis of a new system the principles of the ancient roman law. his works are very voluminous. the most important of them are _de foro legatorum_ (1702); _observationes juris romani_ (1710), of which a continuation in four books appeared in 1733; the treatise _de dominio maris_ (1721); and the _quaestiones juris publici_ (1737). complete editions of his works were published after his death; one in folio at geneva in 1761, and another in two volumes folio at leiden in 1766.