Particular law is the name given to sources of law that were valid only in a specific thematic or geographic area (ius patriae, i.e. native customary law), where they competed with ius communederived from Roman law. The designation of a source of law as “particular” became important as a means of differentiating such laws from ius commune. A plethora of particular laws were in force in early modern Europe, from long-established customs to municipal law and t…