In memoriam: Paul Nève, Emeritus Professor of Roman Law

It is with great sadness that the Faculty Board has learned of the passing of Paul Nève, Emeritus Professor of Roman Law. He was 92 years old.

Paul Nève (born in Sittard in 1933) was affiliated with the Faculty of Law as Professor of Roman Law from 1975 until his retirement in 1998. He later also held the Chair of Legal History in Tilburg. He studied Law in Leiden and Amsterdam and obtained his PhD in 1972 with a thesis entitled ‘The Rijkskamergerecht and the Netherlands’.

Nève began his career outside the university as a trainee civil-law notary in Haarlem and Amsterdam. In 1968, he made the transition to academia. He became an authoritative legal historian. His publications and editorial work are of lasting significance to the field. 

Last Friday, 20 March 2026, Nève passed away in Berg en Dal. With his passing, the faculty has lost a passionate scholar and a dedicated colleague. The Faculty Board wishes his loved ones and all who held him dear much strength.