Heikki Pihlajamäki

Heikki Pihlajamäki is a distinguished Academy Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, with a secondary title as Professor of Comparative Legal History and Docent in the same field. His research focuses on the evolution of early modern colonial laws across England, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal, contextualizing these within medieval and early modern European empires (Sweden, Germany, Russia).

• Education:
  • Master of Laws (University of Helsinki, 1987)
  • Licentiate of Laws (University of Helsinki, 1991)
  • Doctor of Laws (University of Helsinki, 1996)

His work employs culturally contextualized comparative methods, examining how colonial legal orders interacted with indigenous systems and evolved through trade, governance, and religious influence. Recent publications analyze legal transplants, colonial police ordinances, and commercial law development in Ibero-American contexts.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Erwin C. Surrency Prize (2008, 2009)
  • Gad Rausing Prize (2024)
  • Medals from Ghent University (2013) and Francqui Foundation (2013)
  • Oikeuskulttuuri-palkinto (2023)
  • Teacher of the Year (1999, 2002)

He has supervised doctoral candidates including Marju Luts, Martti Lehti, and Juan Benito Cañizares Navarro, while serving on editorial boards for journals like Retfærd, Oikeus, and Journal of Baltic Studies. His current project, CoCoLaw, investigates legal interactions in early modern colonial powers.