This special issue on family law has been compiled by researchers of the Utrecht Centre for European Research into Family Law (UCERF) and by those who were once connected to our centre, for a longer or shorter period, as either a researcher or as a scholarship recipient. The twelve contributions address highly topical issues which are based on the authors’ specific expertise or which have been newly chosen for this compilation. They analyze aspects of the law of parentage, surrogacy, the law of persons, marriage and property, child participation and cross-border family relations in Europe. I am particularly proud that two articles address new developments in some African jurisdictions. Many contributions have been co-authored. They provide additional perspectives from more than one jurisdiction or field of law, which require additional fine-tuning.
I hope that this special issue of the EJLR contains insightful, visual, creative, thought-provoking and surprising contributions, which make them enjoyable to read.

I cordially thank all the authors for their very pleasant cooperation!

Professor Dr. Katharina Boele-Woelki
Editor of this volume and a member of the editorial board of the EJLR