Book launch for ‘Pirates and Maritime Law. Legal Constructs and Cultural Perceptions’

3 September 2026, LH127 (Lord Hope Building), 5 PM, hybrid 

As part of this year’s edition of the RCSL Law & Popular Culture Workshop, the School is pleased to host the book launch of ‘Pirates and Maritime Law. Legal Constructs and Cultural Perceptions’ (Routledge 2027), the new monograph authored by Mirosław M. Sadowski, our Lecturer and Programme Coordinator for the International Maritime Law LLM/MSc. 

The book examines piracy not just as a historical and contemporary criminal activity but as a complex phenomenon deeply interwoven with legal constructs and cultural perceptions.   Specifically, it studies the intersection of piracy and law through a focus on three cultural images of pirates: As rulers of the seas, freedom fighters, and treasure seekers.

Following a brief introduction by Dr. Sadowski, the monograph will be commented on by three invited experts: Prof. Thomas B. Gold (UC Berkeley), Prof. Michał Szawerna (University of Wrocław), and Dr. Samuel White (University of the West of Scotland). Following these interventions, the floor will open for questions. 

The event is open to the general public and free of charge, however, participants need to RSVP at miroslaw.sadowski@strath.ac.uk. If you are attending in person please RSVP by Thursday 27 August. The event will be fully hybrid and a video conference link will be shared with those taking part remotely. The author and the School are grateful to the organisers of the RCSL Law & Popular Culture Workshop 2026 for hosting the event.