Taking part in the Mainz Comparative Law Project

By Lewis McCann 

The Comparative Law Project 24/25 was a brilliant programme to be involved in. Kicking off in November with a trip to Mainz, it was great fun mingling with the German students and beginning to get an insight into the German legal system. It was also interesting to educate German students on Scottish legal issues. I think a lot of them were very interested when a debate about Scottish Independence started!  

We also had the opportunity to explore in and around Mainz. We visited places such as Weisbaden, Rüdesheim, and Ingelheim. All of which had their own unique charm! Being there in November, we also had the luxury of visiting the Christmas markets. They were beautiful and much larger than any other ones I have seen!  

 A large highlight for me was our visit to the state parliament, the Landtag Rheinland-Pfalz. Our tour guide was fantastic and gave us an interesting insight into the history of the building and the current state of German politics.   The return leg in Glasgow was also great fun. After working on our essays with the German students, it was rewarding to be able to present our findings, and also see what all the other groups had been focusing on. I found another group’s presentation on how Germany are able to ban certain political parties particularly interesting. It was also a huge pleasure to show our beautiful home country to the German students, a few of which even tried haggis!    

Overall, the programme was fantastic. An incredibly interesting experience that was paired with the making of many new friendships. A special mention must go to all of the staff on the project, they were great and the project would not be the same without them.