Lafourcade, Maïté

Maïté Lafourcade (1934, Bayonne) is emeritus professor at the Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour. She has been a professor at the Multidisciplinary Faculty located in Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz since it was set up, and is founder and director of the Centre for Research into Basque Studies at this university.

She graduated in Law from the University of Bordeaux and also holds Advanced Diplomas in Private Law and History of Law from the University of Paris. State doctorate thesis on Les contrats de mariage du pays de Labourd sous le règne de Louis XVI. Étude juridique et sociologique.

She has been actively involved in the Law Section of Eusko Ikaskuntza, particularly in the publication of four works: La pratique actuelle du droit coutumier au Pays Basque; La frontière franco-espagnole, lieu de conflits interétatiques et de collaboration interrégionale; 1492-1992. L'exode des Juifs d'Espagne vers Bayonne. Des rives de l'Ebre et du Tage vers Bayonne; and La frontière des origines à nos jours.

Maïté Lafourcade is general secretary of the Association for the Protection of Children in the Basque Country, honorary member of the Royal Basque Society of Friends of the Country, and has been vice-president of Eusko Ikaskuntza (in the Northern Basque Country) since its creation.

She has authored 67 articles, of which 61 deal with the Northern Basque Country (Iparralde) and gives annual courses on Basque Law to undergraduates taking degrees in Basque Studies in Bayonne.

Maïté Lafourcade is an officer of the Order of Academic Palms, and holder of the Croix d'Or du Mérite et Dévouement Français. She received the 2006 Eusko Ikaskuntza-Caja Laboral Humanities, Culture, Arts and Social Sciencies Award, and the 2011 Sabino Arana Foundation Award.