Petrus Peckius the Elder

Who was Petrus Peckius the Elder?

Petrus Peckius the Elder, also known as Pierre Peckius, was an eminent Netherlandish jurist, one of the first to write about international maritime law, and the father of Petrus Peckius the Younger.

He was an orthodox Catholic and remained loyal to the Crown during the Eighty Years' War. In 1582 he was appointed a justice in the Great Council, the supreme law court of the Seventeen Provinces, which normally sat in Mechelen but due to the Dutch Revolt was then meeting in Namur.

He was married to Catharina Gillis with whom he had several children.