Established in 2021, the Constitutions, Rights and Justice research group seeks to foster a collaborative approach regarding how to talk about and conduct research on the nature of constitutions, different categories of rights (i.e., social, political, legal and employment) and the importance of justice in its many forms. 

The Constitutions, Rights and Justice research group seeks to foster a collaborative approach regarding how to talk about and conduct research on the nature of constitutions, different categories of rights (i.e., social, political, legal and employment) and the importance of justice in its many forms. This innovative group is based within the Institute of Arts and Humanities at the ¹ú²úÊÓƵ. It brings together academics at the University and other institutions, legal practitioners and active and retired judges to work together on a myriad of issues and seek scope for collaboration within the wider academy and legal practice.

The group’s activity comprises publications, conferences, and research workshops, and public and community engagement. The group also hosts an annual public lecture, delivered by a prominent figure from the rights and justice community.

Below you will find information about the aims of the group, its members, and past and forthcoming research activity. 

The group’s director is Dr Chris Monaghan. If you have any questions, please contact Chris at c.monaghan@worc.ac.uk.

Aims

The aims of the group are to:

  1. Engage with the public, the academy and legal practice through the dissemination of research and scholarship, the hosting of Public Lectures, workshops and research seminars.
  2. Foster collaboration between ordinary members, associate members and the wider academy and legal practice.
  3. Produce innovative research and other scholarly work that advance the work of the group.

The group’s director is Dr Chris Monaghan. If you have any questions, please contact Chris at c.monaghan@worc.ac.uk.

Membership

The group consists of ordinary members and associate members. Prospective members are welcome to get in contact to enquire about joining. 

Associate Members

Associate members support the work of the research group and include colleagues from the University, other institutions, and those from the legal profession. 

  • Doug Wotherspoon, formerly a Senior Lecturer in Law, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ
  • HH Toby Hooper KC, Retired Circuit Judge (Hereford & Worcester), Honorary Fellow of the ¹ú²úÊÓƵ.
  • Professor Penny Darbyshire
  • Stephen Hurley, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Winchester

Meet our Experts

Dr Chris Monaghan

 Dr Michael Lane

 

Research and Scholarly Activity

2023

  • We are excited to announce that the Constitutions, Rights and Justice group will be hosting a conference in September 2023. The conference, Rights and Justice: In Theory and Practice, will bring together scholars from across the United Kingdom and further afield. 
  • On behalf of the Constitutions, Rights and Justice group Dr Chris Monaghan will be hosting the Chagos Dialogue workshop on 26 May 2023. The workshop is co-hosted with Professor Laura Jeffery from the University of Edinburgh. Professor Philippe Sands QC will be delivering the keynote address. 

2022

  • In December 2022 Nicola Monaghan will be hosting a workshop on the jury trial and the challenges that it faces in the 21st century. Academics from around the world will be taking part. The workshop will take place online.  
  • In July 2022 Dr Chris Monaghan will be speaking at the ICON Society’s annual conference at Wroclaw University, Poland. Chris will be presenting on his research on the House of Lords’ decision in Bancoult (No.2).  
  • In June 2022 Dr Chris Monaghan spoke at the Hive Worcester as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, where he talked about ‘Colonial Mindsets and the Legacy of Empire: The United Kingdom, Mauritius and the Chagos Islands’. This draws upon Chris’ research on the Chagos legal dispute.  
  • Dr Josie Welsh passed her viva at the University of Sheffield. Josie's research is on judicial power and is incredibly timely given the challenges that the UK constitution faces. Congratulations Josie! 
  • In May 2022 Dr Chris Monaghan and Professor Matthew Flinders (University of Sheffield) had a book commissioned by Hart Publishing. The book, Questions of Accountability: Prerogatives, Power and Politics, will feature essays from leading academics, politicians and practitioners and will be published in late 2023.
  • In April 2022, Josie Welsh and Dr Chris Monaghan presented on their research ‘Power and the Constitution’ at the ICON Great Britain and Ireland Chapter Conference, who was hosted by Trinity College Dublin.
  • In April 2022, Dr Chris Monaghan delivered a paper, ‘Checking Executive Power: The Possible Role for Impeachment and the Constitution’ at the Political Studies Association Annual Conference, University of York. 
  • The Constitutions, Rights and Justice research group will be co-hosting the book launch for Dr Chris Monaghan’s book,  (Routledge 2022), at 2pm on 8 June 2022. The event is co-hosted with the PSA Parliaments Specialist Group and speakers include Professor Alison Young (University of Cambridge), Professor Matthew Flinders (University of Sheffield), Dr Stephen Holden Bates (University of Birmingham), and Dr Chris Monaghan.
  • On 23 February 2022 was the launch event for the Constitutions, Rights and Justice research group. Professor Lucy Vickers (Oxford Brookes University) delivered the lecture to mark the launch. Her lecture explored ‘Religious rights at work – finding the “best answer”’.
  • The 7th edition of Nicola Monaghan’s textbook,  (Oxford University Press), was published in February.
  • The Constitutions, Rights and Justice research group is co-hosted the School of Law Research Seminar Series in Spring 2022. Speakers included Susan Wright (Director at the Court of Justice of the European Union, Stephen Hurley (a member of the group), Professor Darren Oldridge (¹ú²úÊÓƵ), and Jay De Santi (Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto).
  • In February 2022, HHJ Jim Tindall and Doug Wotherspoon organised and held a Practical Research Workshop. The speakers included Danielle Jones and John Aldis (St Philips Chambers, Birmingham).

2021

  • Doug Wotherspoon delivered a research paper at the School of Law’s Winter Research Workshop in December 2021. Doug’s paper looked at ‘Rehabilitating Saloman’.
  • December saw the publication of Dr Chris Monaghan’s textbook Public Law (Routledge). It was reported in .
  • Doug Wotherspoon delivered a paper at the Questions of Accountability conference. Doug’s paper looked at ‘Corporate Accountability Reappraised and Reinvigorated’.
  • Dr Chris Monaghan and Josie Welsh delivered a paper at the Questions of Accountability conference. Chris and Josie’s paper looked at ‘Questions of Control: Accountability in the Shadow of Prorogation’.
  • Toby Hooper QC delivered a paper at the Questions of Accountability conference. Toby’s paper looked at ‘The accountability of the Office for Students (OfS) as the statutory regulator of Higher Education Institutions under the Higher Education Act 2017’.
  • The Constitutions, Rights and Justice research group hosted a paper session at the Questions of Accountability: Prerogatives, Power and Politics conference on 5 November 2021. This session saw several members of the group and academics from other universities explored pertinent issues relating to the constitution and accountability. For more information please visit the conference webpages.

 

Upcoming events

Summer Research Workshop (Legal Education & Pedagogy): 9 October 2024

A summer workshop will be held to explore opportunities and challenges in legal education and pedagogy. The keynote will be delivered by .

International Law in the United Kingdom: A Troubled Relationship: 8 November 2024

The Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research group, with support from the , will be convening a conference to explore the relationship between the UK and international law. The full schedule for the day can be found in the conference booklet.

Those interested in attending should register (free) .

Any questions about the conference can be sent to Dr Michael Lane, m.lane@worc.ac.uk

 

Rights and Justice Festival: November 2024 (Date TBC)

Organised by Dr Chris Monaghan and Dr Paul Newland. A public-facing, interactive event to engage the general public and local children and students with the research of the Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group.

Constitutions, Rights and Justice Annual Lecture: Early 2025 (Date TBC)

Every year, Michelle Clarke organises the annual lecture for the research group, delivered by a prominent figure from the rights and justice community. Previous speakers have included Sir John Henry Boulton Saunders (2024) and Rt Hon Sir Robert Buckland KC (2023). Details of the lecture for 2025 will be released in due course. 

Conference: The Impeachment of Warren Hastings: 3-4 July 2025

Dr Chris Monaghan and Dr Robin Eagles (History of Parliament Trust) are convening a conference on the impeachment of Warren Hastings, the former Governor-General of Bengal, that will be taking place at Worcester on 3-4 July 2025. The conference is being supported financially by Parliamentary History. The keynote speaker is Professor Dame Linda Colley, Princeton University, USA.

Past Events 

Spring Research Workshop: 17 April 2024

 For the research group’s 2024 spring workshop, colleagues were joined by . Brian delivered a keynote on using blogging for research and how it may be used as an assessment tool.

Four papers were delivered:

  • Dr Josie Welsh, ‘Looking beyond the traditional: a multi-dimensional account of the modern judicial role’
  • Phil Edwards, 'How do we interpret Police Legitimacy?'
  • Felicity Miles, ‘In the best interests of the child:’ Mapping the paramountcy principle in the context of surrogacy law’
  • Dr Michael Lane, ‘The Utility of International Human Rights Recommendations in Domestic Law’

Constitutions, Rights and Justice Annual Public Lecture with Sir John Henry Boulton Saunders

Organised by Michelle Clarke, the research group welcomed Sir John Henry Boulton Saunders. Sir John is a retired High Court Judge from the King’s Bench Division and was the Judge responsible for managing and conducted trials for a significant number of terrorism cases. He presided over a number of the high-profile trials regarding MP and peers expenses claims, as well as trials arising from the phone hacking scandals. Sir John was the Chairman of the Manchester Arena Bombing public inquiry and as Vice Chairman of the Parole Board for England and Wales, was also involved in the parole issues arising from the John Worboys case. Sir John will be discussing his views and experience with the Parole Board and sentencing issues along with insights into lessons from the Manchester Arena Bombing.

Rights and Justice: In Theory and Practice Conference: 5 September 2023

Constitutions, Rights and Justice, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ  

Tuesday 5 September 2023  

Format: In-person and Online  

Convenor: Dr Chris Monaghan 

Administrative Lead: Janey Robins

Schedule  

Times Event Room Speaker 

8.45-9.00 

Welcome 

JL Law Seminar Room 

Welcome  

Dr Chris Monaghan  

Professor Mike Bradshaw

9.00-10.30 

Session 1 

Panel A 

JL Law Seminar Room 

Citizens, the State and Justice 1 

Chair:  

The Interplay Between Rights and Judicial Power – The Human Rights Act 1998 and Declarations of Incompatibility    

Dr Josie Welsh, Senior Lecturer, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ  

The Aftermath of Successful Planning Claims  

Alistair Mills, University of Cambridge, Landmark Chambers  

Constitutional rights - Unison and beyond 

Dr Chris Monaghan, Principal Lecturer, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ  

Parliaments and Independent National Human Rights Institutions: Joining Forces to Protect and Promote Human Rights  

Franklin De Vrieze, Westminster Foundation for Democracy and Luka Glušac, PhD, University of Belgrade.    

The right to protest and what’s necessary in a democratic society   

Richard Glover, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law, University of Sussex   

Panel B 

JL Court Room 

Rights and Justice 1 

Chair:   

Surrogacy in the UK: are the rights of children born through gestational surrogacy adequately protected by the law?   

Felicity Miles (¹ú²úÊÓƵ)   

Student Law Clinics – helping or hindering access to justice for vulnerable litigants in person  

Lucy Yeatman (University of Liverpool)   

Law’s violence, human rights and women’s bodies: contemporary challenges to women’s reproductive rights in Poland  

Dr Olga Jurasz (The Open University)   

Education Laws as a Social Foundation for Defining and Normalizing Rights and Justice in Theory and Practice  

Professor John Dayton (University of Georgia)  

10.30-11.45 

Coffee 

JL Law Seminar Room 

 

11.45-13.15 

Session 2 

Panel A 

JL Law Seminar Room 

Citizens, the State and Justice 2 

Chair:  

The Right to a Fair Trial: Inadequate Disclosure and an Inadequate Response  

Dr Ed Johnston, University of Northampton  

Juror and witness intimidation in criminal proceedings  

Nicola Monaghan, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ     

Virtual Justice – is a technologically enhanced criminal justice system capable of delivering ‘true’ justice for the accused?  

Dan Jasinski, Kingston University London   

‘You need to be more professional?’ informality, access to justice and restorative relationships within the criminal justice process.   

Dr Darren McStravick, Kingston University London   

Innocence Organisations: What’s the Appeal?   

Dr Louise Hewitt, University of Greenwich and Professor Claire McGourlay, University of Manchester  

Panel B 

JL Court Room 

Rights and Justice 2 

Chair:  

The Law of Unfair Dismissal and its role in protecting non-religious philosophical belief in the workplace  

Stephen Hurley (¹ú²úÊÓƵ)   

Balancing individual and collective rights in religious employment cases   

Professor Lucy Vickers (Oxford Brookes University)   

Resolving Human Rights Cases in Strasbourg and at Home: a contrived conflict  

Dr Steve Foster (Coventry University)   

Achieving Justice in Imprisonment  

Professor Susan Easton (Brunel University)   

The role of multilingualism in upholding the rule of law in the European Union  

Susan Wright (Court of Justice of the European Union)   

13.15-14.00 

Lunch 

 

JL Law Seminar Room 

 

14.00-15.30 

 

Panel A 

JL 200X 

Citizens, the State and Justice 3 

Chair:  

The Police and Justice: Behind the Blue Line    

Michelle Clarke and Angi Hart, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ    

Policing Disability Hate Crime in England   

Dr Louise Hewitt, University of Greenwich    

Rethinking Territorial Jurisdiction in Canadian Extradition Law  

Jay De Santi, Osgoode Hall University Toronto   

The right to protest and what’s necessary in a democratic society   

Richard Glover, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law, University of Sussex    

A citizen’s view on the state’s ability to manipulate perception in times of crisis – a case study on counterterrorism responses.   

Dr Noel McQuirk, University of Lancaster   

 

 

Panel B 

JL Court Room 

Rights and Justice 3 

Chair:  

Nemo Dat and Theft  

Dr Sean Thomas (University of York)   

Justice in a Changing Constitutional Landscape    

Dr Chris Monaghan and Dr Josie Welsh (¹ú²úÊÓƵ)    

Rights, Outcomes, and Institutions  

Professor TT Arvind (University of York) and Professor Aisling McMahon (Maynooth University)   

15.30-15.45 

Coffee 

JL Law Seminar Room 

 

15.45-17.15 

 

Panel A 

JL Law Seminar Room 

Rights and Justice 4 

Chair:   

Human Rights, Business and Supply Chains 

Professor Olga Martin-Ortega and Martina Trusgnach, University of Greenwich   

Climate Justice 

Doug Wotherspoon and Bill Davies (¹ú²úÊÓƵ)    

Collective Redress under the Competition Act 1998 – Achieving Justice for Parties?  

Rhonson Salim (Aston University)   

Civil Liability for Disruptive Cyber Events  

Chris Kirkbride (¹ú²úÊÓƵ)    

 

 

Panel B 

JL Court Room 

Citizens, the State and Justice 4 

Chair:   

Parliaments and Independent National Human Rights Institutions: Joining Forces to Protect and Promote Human Rights  

Franklin De Vrieze, Westminster Foundation for Democracy and Luka Glušac, PhD, University of Belgrade.   

The Courts and Justice: A Criminal Perspective  

HH Toby Hooper QC, Bencher of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple   

State responses to protest and public disorder in times of crisis: a case study on citizenry rights  

Dr Noel McQuirk, University of Lancaster   

17.15-18.00 

Drinks Reception 

 

JL Law Seminar Room 

Debating Rights and Justice: Challenges and Opportunities for Research Led Teaching: 14 June 2023

9am, 14 June 2023

School of Law, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Conveners: Stephen Hurley (¹ú²úÊÓƵ) and Dr Chris Monaghan (¹ú²úÊÓƵ)

Challenges and Prospects for the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean: 26 May 2023

Friday 26 May 2023 

Convenors: Dr Chris Monaghan (¹ú²úÊÓƵ) and Professor Laura Jeffery (University of Edinburgh)   

Time Room Event Speaker 

8.30 

JL1005

Introduction and Coffee 

Professor Laura Jeffery and Dr Chris Monaghan 

9.00 

JL1005

Session One: Contesting Chagos 

Chair: Professor Stewart Motha 

The Chagos Saga: Over five decades of Contention (Dr Milan Meetarbhan)  

The “British” Courts and the Chagos Story: British Justice, Colonial Mindsets, and Finding a Voice (Dr Chris Monaghan and Professor Satvinder Juss)  

Return of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and Chagossian Identity: Constitutional, Legal and Political Perspectives (Professor Charles M Fombad)  

Stakeholders or Bystanders? Chagossian Representation in Inter-State Legal Proceedings (Dr Jamie Trinidad, Dr Stephen Allen, Professor Thomas Burri)  

By 2036 BIOT at 70 will have outlived its uses: return of the Chagossians to their homeland and Chagos to Mauritius is long overdue (David Snoxell)  

Coconut crabs, courtroom clashes and fights over flagpoles (Owen Bowcott) 

10.45 

JL1003

Coffee 

 

11.00 

JL1005

Session Two: Righting Wrongs 

Chair: Professor Suzanne Schwartz  

Ongoing human rights violations (Michael Joson)  

Political and legal debates about Chagossian ethnicity and indigeneity (Professor Laura Jeffery)  

The Chagossians, a population in exile (Dr Priya Bahadoor)  

Intergenerational challenges, cultural identify, and future prospects for Chagossian communities in the UK (Jean Fabrice Thierry Mandarin)   

Human rights and the marine protected area around the Chagos Archipelago (Professor Sue Farran) 

12.30 

JL2002 

Lunch 

 

13.00 

JL1005

Session Three: Writing Wrongs 

Chair: Dr Ruth Stacy and Dr Jack McGowan  

“Not another book” A Chagossian woman's lament: Portrayals and betrayals in creative and critical discourses and the impact for Chagossian selfhood and self determination (Saradha Soobrayen)  

Whose story is it anyway? (Natasha Soobramanien & Luke Williams)  

Voicing the Trauma of the Lost Territory: Creative Writing, Therapy and the Chagos Refugees Group (Dr Esther Pujolràs-Noguer and Dr Felicity Hand)  

Paradise Enclosures: Chagos and Post-Imperial Desire (Christopher Hill)  

Title TBC 

(Stewart Motha) 

14.30 

JL1003

Coffee 

 

14.45 

JL1005

Keynote Address 

Prof Philippe Sands KC  

Introduced by Professor David Green

15.45 

JL1003

Coffee 

 

16.00 

JL1005

Session Four: International DisOrders 

Chair: Professor Satvinder Juss 

The Chagos Archipelago in Late Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Indian Ocean World History (Professor Richard B Allen)  

The Conundrum in the African Common Position on the Chagos Question (Professor Siphamaandla Zondi)  

The Colonial Master: How the US Government Has Hidden Its Leading Role in Exiling the Chagossians and Why It Must Finally Face Its Responsibility (Professor David Vine)  

The Indo-Pacific and the Chagos Archipelago: Two Logics, Two Futures (Dr Peter Harris)  

International law, the carceral archipelago, and the Chagos Archipelago (Dr Oumar Ba and Kelly-Jo Bluen)  

Militarized Environmental Science (Chen Chu) 

17.45 

JL1003

Coffee 

 

18.00 

JL1005 

Concluding Address 

A View from the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mauritius to the United Nations (Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul)  

18.30 

JL1005 

Film Screening 

Absolutely Must Go (directed by Jean-Noël Pierre) 

The Keynote Speaker

Professor Philippe Sands KC, University College London and 11 KBW 

Philippe is Professor of Public Understanding of Law at University College London, and Samuel and Judith Pisar Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He is President of English PEN and on the board of the Hay Festival of Arts and Literature. Author of many books, including East West Street (2016) and The Ratline (2020), Philippe is an occasional contributor to many publications, including the Guardian, Financial Times and New York Times, and appears regularly on the BBC and CNN. His latest book, The Last Colony, was published in September 2022.

Concluding Address 

Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mauritius to the United Nations  

Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul has had a long and distinguished career in diplomacy, and has served as Mauritius’ representative in New York, Brussels, Paris, Washington, New Delhi and as Secretary for Foreign Affairs. In November 2015, he was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mauritius to the United Nations for the second time, after a successful tenure between 2001 and 2005, during which he was also the chief representative of Mauritius in the UN Security Council.  

The Presenters 

Professor Richard B Allen, formerly of the University of Framington  

Dr Stephen Allen, Senior Lecturer, Queen Mary University of London  

Dr Oumar Ba, Assistant Professor, Cornell University   

Dr Priya Bahadoor, Lecturer, University of Mauritius  

Kelly-Jo Bluen, PhD Candidate, London School of Economics and Political Science  

Owen Bowcott, former Legal Correspondent for The Guardian newspaper   

Professor Thomas Burri, St Gallen University  

Chen Chu, PhD candidate at MIT  

Professor Sue Farran, Professor of Comparative and Plural Laws, Newcastle University  

Professor Charles M Fombad, Professor of Comparative African Constitutional Law, University of Pretoria  

Dr Felicity Hand, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Catalonia  

Dr Peter Harris, Colorado State University  

Christopher Hill, MA student in Postcolonial Studies, University of Kent  

Professor Laura Jeffery, Professor of Anthropology of Migration, University of Edinburgh  

Michael BC Joson, Lecturer in Political Science and Human Rights, University of Mauritius   

Professor Satvinder Juss, King’s College London  

Thierry Mandarin, MSc student in School of Global Studies, University of Sussex  

Dr Milan Meetarbhan, former Ambassador of Mauritius to the United Nations  

Dr Chris Monaghan, Principal Lecturer in Law, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ 

Professor Stewart Motha, Professor of Law at Birkbeck, University of London  

Dr Esther Pujolràs-Noguer, Universitat de Lleida, Catalonia  

David Snoxell, former UK High Commissioner to Mauritius and the co-ordinator of the Chagos Islands All-Party Parliamentary Group 

Natasha Soobramanien is a British-Mauritian writer based in Brussels and teaches on the Lens-Based Masters Programme of the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam 

Saradha Soobrayen, Independent Researcher and Creative Activist working with Poetry, Visual Arts and Live Arts 

Dr Jamie Trinidad, Fellow of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, University of Cambridge 

Professor David Vine, Professor of Political Anthropology at American University in Washington  

Luke Williams is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London  

Professor Siphamaandla Zondi, Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Johannesburg   

How to Register 

The conference is free to attend and is open to everyone. The conference will be taking place in person at the ¹ú²úÊÓƵ. It will however be possible to attend as either an in-person or online delegate. To book a place you will need to register by emailing schooloflaw@worc.ac.uk

Constitutions, Rights and Justice Group Annual Public Lecture with the Rt Hon Sir Robert Buckland KC (the former Lord Chancellor): 15 March 2023

11am, 15 March 2023

School of Law, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ Conveners: Michelle Clarke and Angi Hart

Speaker: Rt Hons Sir Robert Buckland KC (the former Lord Chancellor) 

The Rt Hon Robert Buckland KC was Secretary of State for Wales from 7 July 2022 to 25 October 2022.

He was previously Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice from July 2019 to September 2021, Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice from May 2019 to July 2019 and Solicitor General. He was elected the Conservative MP for South Swindon in 2010.

Robert was born in Llanelli in 1968. He went to Hatfield College, Durham, graduating in Law in 1990. Robert attended the Inns of Court School of Law, where he was a prize winner for Advocacy and was Called to the Bar at Inner Temple in October 1991. He returned to practise in Wales, most recently being a member of Apex Chambers in Cardiff. Robert is a door tenant at 23 Essex Street Chambers, London. In 2009, Robert was appointed as a Recorder of the Crown Court, sitting on the Midland Circuit.

Spring Law Research Workshop: 8 February 2023

10am, 8 February 2023

School of Law, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Convener: Dr Chris Monaghan (¹ú²úÊÓƵ)

Keynote Speaker: Dr Sarah Cooper (Birmingham City University) 

Speakers: Stephen Hurley (¹ú²úÊÓƵ), Prof. Ning Han (Toin University), David Hallmark, Dr Chris Monaghan (¹ú²úÊÓƵ)

Practical Research Workshop: 31 January 2023

4.30pm, 31 January 2023 in JL1005

School of Law, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Guest Speakers: HHJ James Burbidge KC; John Aldis, barrister at St. Philips Chambers, Birmingham and Victoria Caleb LLB (Hons) 

Convened by Doug Wotherspoon, Senior Lecturer at the ¹ú²úÊÓƵ

You are warmly invited to attend a free Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group Seminar. The title of the session is 'Practical Research’, and our guest speakers will discuss the importance of legal research in dealing with practical problems and issues on a daily basis.

His Honour Judge Burbidge KC is the Honorary Recorder of Worcester, the Resident Judge of Worcester and Hereford Crown Courts and has recently taken over as Chair of the Law Forum of the School of Law at the ¹ú²úÊÓƵ. In his capacity as Chair of the Law Forum His Honour Judge Burbidge readily understands how important transferable employability skills such as research are in assisting students as they move into employment on graduation. In his career as a barrister and now as a judge, His Honour Judge Burbidge appreciates the need for meticulous research and preparation on the part of advocates.

John Aldis is a barrister at St. Philips Chambers in Birmingham specialising in Property and Probate and is a very good friend to the Law School having participated in our first practical research seminar in February 2022. As such, John is well acquainted with using Westlaw and Lexis Nexis sources such as practitioners’ texts, case law and statutes to research complex questions of law and will underscore the importance of research to legal practitioners as a vital skill in their day-to-day work. 

Victoria Caleb, a recent ¹ú²úÊÓƵ law graduate and ASET bursary prize-winner, will share her hints and tips on the practical research activities she conducted on placement and whilst a student at the Law School. Victoria will further explain how she is now utilising the experience she gained as a student researcher at ¹ú²úÊÓƵ in the workplace as a paralegal at a local firm. 

This session will follow a Q&A format and should be of interest and benefit to practitioners, academics and students alike. It is anticipated that the session will last approximately one hour. Light refreshments will be available and there will be an opportunity for networking afterwards. The Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group very much hope you will join us. There is no need to register, and everyone is very welcome to attend.   

The Jury Trial Conference: 7 December 2022

Wednesday 7 December 2022  

Convenor: Nicola Monaghan  

Time Event Speakers 

9.00 

Welcome: Professor Mike Bradshaw, Head of Humanities, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ  

 

9.10 

Session One: Chaired by Toby Hooper KC

  • Professor Peter Hungerford-Welch – Helping the jury do their job   
  • Nicola Monaghan - Reconsidering the position of jurors with specialist knowledge and expertise  
  • Dan Jasinski – Preparing for the big screen: considerations for advocates in remote jury trials 

15 mins per paper & 30 mins for Q&A 

 

 

10.25 

Break 

 

10.50 

Session Two: Chaired by Dan Jasinski   

  • Dr K Crosby – When the parties call for jury nullification: a comparative analysis  
  • Professor Pamela Ferguson – The Scottish Jury  
  • Professor Meryll Dean – Jury Trial in Japan: Third Time Lucky or Forever a Misfit?   

15 mins per paper & 30 mins for Q&A 

 

12.00 

Lunch 

 

13.00 

Keynote: Introduced by Professor David Green, Vice Chancellor, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ   

Professor Valerie Hans – The Surprising Endurance of Trial by Jury: A US Perspective  

 

13.30 

Session Three: Chaired by Dr K Crosby  

  • Rosie Cowan – (Un)reasonable beliefs: How rape myths impact (mock) juror decision-making in Northern Ireland and how potential bias might be prevented  
  • Dr Lee Curley – The strengths and limitations to the experimental study of juror and jury decision making  

15 mins per paper & 30 mins for Q&A 

 

14.30 

Close 

Autumn Research Workshop: 7 September 2022

Wednesday 7 September 2022

Convenor: Dr Chris Monaghan

Time  Room  Event  Speaker  

13.00  

Law Seminar Room JL1005  

Coffee and Refreshments  

All Attendees  

13.10  

Law Seminar Room JL1005  

Welcome  

 

Prof Michael Bradshaw,  
¹ú²úÊÓƵ  

  

13.15  

Law Seminar Room JL1005  

Research in the School of Law and the Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group  

 

Dr Chris Monaghan      
¹ú²úÊÓƵ

 

13.20

Law Seminar Room JL1005  

 

‘AI: Emerging Legal and Ethical Issues'    

Doug Wotherspoon, 
¹ú²úÊÓƵ  


‘Now for some audience participation: the role of clients and service users in deciding if you are allowed to manifest your protected philosophical belief in the workplace’    

Stephen Hurley,  
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Reappraising civil liability for cyber attacks

Chris Kirkbride,   
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‘Reconsidering Lawrance: when does deception vitiate consent in sexual offences?’    

Nicola Monaghan,  
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14.20  

Law Seminar Room JL1005

Research Development Session

Richard Glover, University of Sussex

 

Launch of Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group: 23 February 2022

On 23 February 2022 was the launch event for the Constitutions, Rights and Justice research group. Professor Lucy Vickers (Oxford Brookes University) delivered the lecture to mark the launch. Her lecture explored ‘Religious rights at work – finding the “best answer”’.

 Recorded Events

Event Recordings

 

 

 Humanities at Worcester