May 27, 2005
Feldmann case decision expected today
According to this article, judgement is expected today on the Feldmann case, that could allow moral claims to overrule the museum’s act.
From:
The Scotsman
Fri 27 May 2005
2:48am (UK)
Legal Ruling Could Loosen Grip on Elgin Marbles
By Stephen Howard, PAVice Chancellor Sir Andrew Morritt is ruling today on a point of law which could give the owners of stolen artworks a chance to reclaim them – a ruling which may give Greece a chance to reclaim the Elgin Marbles.
The Vice Chancellor was asked to decide on Tuesday whether the “moral obligation” of the British Museum to the true owners of looted works of art overrides laws forbidding the break-up of its collections.The Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, asked the court for clarification of the law in the case of Old Masters drawings looted by the Nazis, which were acquired by the museum in the 1940s.
William Henderson, representing the Attorney General, said if the British Museum Act could be overridden, it would “open the door” to other claims.
“There are plainly other objects to which moral claim might be made. The Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon may be the prime example,” he said.
The application to the High Court arose out of a claim for the restitution of four drawings looted from Arthur Feldmann by the Gestapo in 1939 when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia.
- Verdict reached on the Feldmann case : May 27, 2005
- Moral obligations of British Museum could overrule the British Museum Act : May 24, 2005
- More on the Feldmann case : May 24, 2005
- Further media coverage of the Feldmann case verdict : June 1, 2005
- Atorney General would have final say in restitution cases : May 25, 2005
- British laws need rewrite to deal with restitution claims : July 15, 2005
- What does the Feldmann case verdict mean for the Elgin Marbles : June 3, 2005
- Feldmann case legal details : June 26, 2005