Cultural Restitution Claims: A Legal Handbook

Many have talked of a 'new wave' of restitution claims prompted by the Sarr-Savoy report. This has been further enhanced by the announcement by the Open Society Foundation in November 2019 of $15 million of support for action to restore objects to Africa, including through litigation. A series of formal claims to European museums for the return of objects was reported in 2019. The sustained high level of public interest in the restitution debate, combined with the generally stubborn response of host nations, suggests that this pattern will continue.

Cultural Restitution Claims: A Legal Handbook provides a concise and practical account of the international law relevant to cross-border claims for the restitution of cultural property. It covers both the supranational legal framework and the domestic legal position in a number of key jurisdictions, namely the UK, US, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and China, drawing on the expertise of practitioners in those jurisdictions. It also relates the present state of the law to the evolving political and ethical debate and engages in critical comparison of the position in different jurisdictions.

The book serves as a practical resource for those asserting or responding to claims for the return of objects, whether in the context of formal litigation or otherwise, as well as for those with a professional or policy interest in the restitution debate.