Observe · Regulate · Protect — since 2007. 19th OIMAP General Assembly: Singapore, 10–12 June 2026. Programme
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International Organisation
for the Art Market and Heritage
24 October 2026 · Updated at 07:47 GMT FR EN ES Member area Log in
Training

Training of magistrates

Art market law, procedure and restitution: a two-week training for judges and prosecutors dealing with cultural property.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Pages in this section

St. Anthony Reading, Albrecht Dürer (1519)Art market lawSales contract, warranty, authenticity, provenance and liability of intermediaries: the legal foundation of the programme.› Dr. James Stuart; Mary Campbell Stuart, Gilbert Stuart (c. 1815)Procedure and evidenceManaging an expert appraisal, ordering protective measures, cooperating with foreign courts: the procedural module.› The Calumny of Apelles, Giorgio Ghisi (1560)Restitution of cultural propertyInternational conventions, State requests, mediation: the module devoted to the return of cultural property.›

Judging art cases

Leaf from a Lectionary with St. Luke (1057–1063)
Leaf from a Lectionary with St. Luke (1057–1063)

A judge faced for the first time with a dispute over the authenticity of a painting or a request for the restitution of a ritual mask finds unfamiliar notions: provenance, due diligence, expertise, international conventions. Since 2012 the Academy has offered specialised training for magistrates.

It has trained 1,120 judges, prosecutors and clerks from 49 States. The programme lasts two weeks in Paris, or one week in a decentralised session, and is free for officials of Member States.

This section presents art market law, procedure and restitution.

  • Judges
  • Justice
  • Law

Training of magistrates in figures

1,120Magistrates trained
49States
2 wksLength of programme
97%Satisfaction

Source: OIMAP Academy.

Three modules

The Antechamber of the Palace of Justice, Paris, Charles Meryon (1855)LawArt market law

Sales, warranties, authenticity.

›Missale: Fol. 185v: Crucifixion with borders (full page), Bartolommeo Caporali (1469)ProcedureProcedure

Evidence, expertise, measures.

›Sketches in Belgium and Germany, Volume I: Hall of Justice of the Magistrates du Franc, Bruges, Louis Haghe (1840)RestitutionRestitution

Cultural property and States.

›

Breakdown

Civil judges42%
Prosecutors28%
Criminal judges18%
Clerks and assistants12%

Participants by function.

High Class Students and Teachers at Bishop Cotton School, Shimla (verso), Raja Deen Dayal (c. 1882–87)
High Class Students and Teachers at Bishop Cotton School, Shimla (verso), Raja Deen Dayal (c. 1882–87)
Qur'an Manuscript Folio (recto; verso); Left side of Bifolio (800s)
Qur'an Manuscript Folio (recto; verso); Left side of Bifolio (800s)
Woman Sitting Reading , Georges Lemmen (1905)
Woman Sitting Reading , Georges Lemmen (1905)

A tailor-made programme

The programme alternates legal talks, case studies, hearing simulations and visits to laboratories, auction rooms and museums. It draws on experienced magistrates, academics and arbitration practitioners.

Participants receive a manual, a collection of comparative case law and permanent access to the Academy's resources.

Practical cases

Three cases run through the training: a sale dispute over a contested painting, a criminal file of handling archaeological objects, a State's request for the restitution of cultural property. Each case is studied from the angle of applicable law, evidence, expertise and protective measures.

A hearing simulation closes the programme: each magistrate plays a role different from their usual one.

After the training

Former magistrates form an exchange network: they can find out about foreign procedures, ask a colleague's opinion and take part in working groups. Several have joined the list of arbitrators or mediators of the arbitral tribunal.

A one-day refresher module is offered each year to keep up with developments in the law.

Audience and conditions

The training is aimed at serving magistrates, clerks and judicial assistants. Enrolment goes through each State's justice administration, which appoints a focal point. Places are distributed so as to represent all regions.

Travel and accommodation costs are covered by a scholarship for magistrates from developing States.

The programme

Two weeks
WeekThemesFormat
1Market law, authenticity, provenanceTalks, cases
2Procedure, restitution, arbitrationSimulation, visits

Milestones

  1. First session

    Thirty magistrates.

  2. Session in Nairobi

    Africa.

  3. Online version

    Pandemic.

  4. 1,120 magistrates

    Review.

Hours of Queen Isabella the Catholic, Queen of Spain, Master of the First Prayerbook of Maximillian (c. 1500)
Hours of Queen Isabella the Catholic, Queen of Spain, Master of the First Prayerbook of Maximillian (c. 1500)
A Lady Reading, Francis Seymour Haden (1833–1910)
A Lady Reading, Francis Seymour Haden (1833–1910)
Bookplate: Boylston Medical Library, George Girdler Smith (1806–39)
Bookplate: Boylston Medical Library, George Girdler Smith (1806–39)

Free for Member States

In person or online

Qur'an Manuscript Folio (800s)

In person

Two weeks
  • Simulations
  • Visits
  • Network

Full format.

St. Catherine of Siena and the Beggar, Giovanni di Paolo (1460s)

Online

Short modules
  • Flexibility
  • Refresher
  • Fewer exchanges

To update skills.

Take part

  1. Appoint

    Focal point.

  2. Apply

    File.

  3. Travel

    Scholarship.

  4. Follow

    Programme.

  5. Join

    Network.

To prepare

A judge

Miniature from a Manuscript of the Apocalypse: The War in Heaven (c. 1295)
« The training gave me the means to deal with a restitution file I dreaded. I was able to propose a mediation, which succeeded. »
Judge Hana Yilmaz, judge

Judicial vocabulary

Judge
Judge or prosecutor.
Focal point
Designated contact.
Simulation
Mock hearing.
Comparative case law
Decisions from several countries.

Independence of the judiciary

Trainers give no opinion on ongoing cases. Participants are free in their decisions: the training provides tools, not ready-made solutions. The cases studied are anonymised.

The Academy ensures that market operators do not take part in the programme, to preserve the impartiality of the training.

Frequently asked questions

Who can take part?

Serving magistrates.

Is it free?

Yes, for Member States.

In what language?

Three.

Where to see market law?

Useful documents

Contacts

Nowshera, Kashmir (number 1000), Samuel Bourne (1864)
Nowshera, Kashmir (number 1000), Samuel Bourne (1864)
OIMAP AcademyParis — Head Office+33 1 00 00 05 00formation@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

See market law

Leaf from a Missal: The Crucifixion (recto) and Text (verso) (c. 1330–40)

Content of the programme.

Art market law
Image credits (23)
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