Is This Cultural Property Law?: The Emerging Norm of Voluntary Repatriations

Authors

Erin L. Thompson, City University of New York

Abstract

As the public’s awareness of the histories of theft and smuggling that brought many cultural artifacts from their communities of origin to American collections has grown, attitudes toward the ethics of retaining these artifacts has also shifted. This presentation will first consider challenges posed by existing legal remedies available for source countries who seek to reclaim their heritage and then discuss the emerging practice of voluntary repatriations, which occur when the current owner of an artifact returns it to a source country or community even though legal authorities would likely not compel its surrender.

Recommended Citation

Erin L. Thompson, Is This Cultural Property Law?: The Emerging Norm of Voluntary Repatriations, 28 Chap. L. Rev. 465 (2025).
Available at: https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/chapman-law-review/vol28/iss3/1