Andreas Gaill

Who was Andreas Gaill?

Andreas Gaill was one of the leading jurists of the Holy Roman Empire.

After studies in Cologne, Orléans, Leuven and Bologna, Gaill worked as an advocate in his hometown Cologne. In 1558 he was appointed to the Imperial Chamber Court. From 1569 on, he served on the Aulic Council in Vienna and, prior to his death, as Chancellor to the Elector of Cologne.

Gaill is best remembered for his 1578 work Practicae observationes ad processum iudiciarium imperialis camerae, the first systematic compilation of Chamber Court jurisprudence, which exerted an eminent influence on the practice of law in the Empire and served as a template for most later German compilations of court decisions.