Nowadays, there is a growing interest in the history of empires and Imperial issues in the historical science. Therefore a comparative analysis between the past events and contemporary processes becomes relevant. One of such issues is the problem of development and formation of colonial empires in the age of Enlightenment. This part of Imperial theory certainly deserves additional attention since it was not highlighted and studied in full.

In the second half of the XVIII century there was a problem matching the metropolis laws to colonial needs: special boards or institutions that could make the laws were often missed in the colonies.

In the article authors use the framework of the Empire theory to compare the approaches to the law in the French, German and British thought. That helps us to understand the general and specific approaches of the Enlightenment to the imperial issues through the prism of the law. The law occupied the main place in the formation of empires and justification of overseas conquests. Starting from the standpoint of law, the European powers formed such concepts as politics, administration issues, trade, and slave trade. At the same time Britain, France and Germany had their own problems in law.

Authors considered the works of Enlighteners as a practical guide where the views of the Enlightenment of the second half of the XVIII century on the Empire were reflected.