Constitutions, Rights and Justice research group

Director

• Dr Chris Monaghan, Principal Lecturer in Law

Ordinary Members

• Amy Johnson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology
• Andy Kok, Senior Lecturer in Law
• Angi Hart, Lecturer in Policing
• Bill Morcom, Lecturer in Law 
• Clive Sealey, Senior Lecturer in Social Policy and Theory
• Courtney Smith, Lecturer in Criminology 
• Danielle Hopton-Jones, Lecturer in Law 
• Dr Aisha Shah, Lecturer in Law
• Dr Josie Welsh, Senior Lecturer in Law
• Dr Michael Lane, Lecturer in Law 
• Dr Nkem Adeleye, Senior Lecturer in Law
• Dr Wendy Toon, Senior Lecturer in American History
• Felicity Miles, Lecturer in Law, PhD Researcher 
• Harriet Payter, Senior Lecturer in Law
• Nkem Adeleye, Senior Lecturer in Law
• Isabel Gilbert, Lecturer in Criminology 
• Jenna Page, Lecturer in Criminology
• Jenny Watkins, Lecturer in Law
• Kay Wall, Senior Lecturer in Social Work
• Matthew Jellis, Head of Department for Violence Prevention, Trauma and Criminology 
• Michelle Clarke, Senior Lecturer in Policing
• Mikahil Sulaiman Azad, Lecturer in Criminology
• Nicola Monaghan, Principal Lecturer in Law
• Philip Edwards, Lecturer in Policing 
• Professor Neil Fleming, Professor of Modern History
• Sarah Lloyd, Lecturer in Psychology

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. 

• Colin Phillips, Barrister, Clock Chambers
• Dan Jasinski, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice Studies, University of Northampton 
• David Mason KC, Deputy Head of Chambers, No5 Chambers
• Doug Wotherspoon, formerly a Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Worcester
• Dr John Duddington, Chairman of the Worcestershire Medico Legal Society
• HH Toby Hooper KC, Retired Circuit Judge (Hereford & Worcester), Honorary Fellow of the University of Worcester.
• HHJ Jim Tindal, Specialist Circuit Judge, Midland Circuit
• Lamin Daffeh, Lecturer in Law, Birmingham City University Professor
• Allyson Macvean OBE, Emeritus Professor of Policing and Criminology, Bath Spa University. 
• Professor Ning Han, Toin University, Japan
• Professor Penny Darbyshire
• Professor Sarah Cooper, Birmingham City University
• Richard Glover, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Sussex 
• Stephen Hurley, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Winchester

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, Accountability, Impeachment and the Constitution: The Case for a Modernised Process in the United Kingdom (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, Criminal Law Directions (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 (University of Worcester), 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 Worcester Observer.
• 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.

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 Dr Jess Guth, Head of School of Law, Leeds Trinity University.

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

10:00am-17:00pm, 8 November 2024, University of Worcester

This is intended to be an inclusive and welcoming conference intended for all scholars, whatever their discipline or career stage. We are currently accepting contributions from early-career researchers and post-graduate research students are therefore welcomed. Papers from underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged. 

Submit your abstract and find out more information on our call for papers document. 

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.

Spring Research Workshop: 17 April 2024

 For the research group’s 2024 spring workshop, colleagues were joined by Dr Brian Christopher Jones, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Liverpool. 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, University of Worcester  

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, University of Worcester   The Aftermath of Successful Planning Claims   Alistair Mills, University of Cambridge, Landmark Chambers   Constitutional rights - Unison and beyond  Dr Chris Monaghan, Principal Lecturer, University of Worcester   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 (University of Worcester)    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, University of Worcester      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 (University of Worcester)    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, University of Worcester     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 (University of Worcester)     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 (University of Worcester)     Collective Redress under the Competition Act 1998 – Achieving Justice for Parties?   Rhonson Salim (Aston University)    Civil Liability for Disruptive Cyber Events   Chris Kirkbride (University of Worcester)
		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, University of Worcester

Conveners: Stephen Hurley (University of Worcester) and Dr Chris Monaghan (University of Worcester)

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

Friday 26 May 2023 

Convenors: Dr Chris Monaghan (University of Worcester) 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, University of Worcester 

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 University of Worcester. 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, University of Worcester 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, University of Worcester

Convener: Dr Chris Monaghan (University of Worcester)

Keynote Speaker: Dr Sarah Cooper (Birmingham City University) 

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

Practical Research Workshop: 31 January 2023

4.30pm, 31 January 2023 in JL1005

School of Law, University of Worcester

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 University of Worcester

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 University of Worcester. 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 University of Worcester 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 University of Worcester 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, University of Worcester
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, University of Worcester    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,   University of Worcester
13.15	Law Seminar Room JL1005	Research in the School of Law and the Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group	Dr Chris Monaghan       University of Worcester
13.20	Law Seminar Room JL1005		‘AI: Emerging Legal and Ethical Issues'     Doug Wotherspoon,  University of Worcester   ‘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,   University of Worcester       Reappraising civil liability for cyber attacks Chris Kirkbride,    University of Worcester      ‘Reconsidering Lawrance: when does deception vitiate consent in sexual offences?’     Nicola Monaghan,   University of Worcester
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”’.

Event Recordings

• Dr Chris Monaghan Accountability, Impeachment and the Constitution book launch
• Stephen Hurley Research Seminar, 2022
• Willmott & Hudspith Juries in Rape Trials
• Jury Conference - P Hungerford Welch, N Monaghan, D Jasinski
• Valerie Hans Keynote Paper
• Jury Conference Pamela Ferguson
• Lee Curley